A three-year-old tigress named T138 was released into the core zone of the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal on Thursday, launching the state’s first tiger reintroduction programme.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav jointly released the 150-kg tigress, which was brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve. The release coincided with the start of National Wildlife Week.

The tigress was tranquilised in Valmiki, airlifted to Hasimara airbase by an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft, and moved by road to Buxa. She spent time in a specially prepared 2.2-hectare soft enclosure before release. She wears a GPS-enabled radio collar so scientists can track her movement, hunting, and home-range formation.

No tiger was recorded in Buxa in the 2018 tiger census. Officials plan to introduce more tigers in phases over the next two years, with three more planned by year-end. Two villages were voluntarily relocated to secure the habitat.

Why it matters: restoring a breeding tiger population in Buxa would revive a landscape where tigers had nearly vanished. It is also expected to boost eco-tourism in the region.