Guwahati: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday welcomed the safe capture of BT1, a three-year-old tigress from West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve that travelled more than 100 km into Assam before being captured in a coordinated operation by forest officials from both states.In a post on X, Sarma described the operation as a commendable example of what inter-state coordination could achieve and appreciated the efforts of forest teams from Assam and West Bengal, the district administration, police personnel and local communities.“BT1 is safe and that is what matters most,” he said, acknowledging the collective efforts that ensured the tigress’s safety.The tigress was released into the wild at Buxa Tiger Reserve on Oct 2 after being brought from Bihar. The animal later travelled across state boundaries, eventually reaching Raimona National Park in the Bodoland Territorial Region. From Oct 23, the tigress moved through forested areas of Kokrajhar district and at one point approached human settlements while heading south, raising concerns over the safety of both the animal and local residents.Environment and forest minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said forest officials from Assam and West Bengal tracked the tigress’s movements and coordinated the operation with the support of the district administration, police and local communities.The operation highlighted the importance of inter-state cooperation in managing wildlife movement, particularly in landscapes where animal corridors extend beyond protected areas.“Wildlife does not recognise administrative boundaries, and incidents like these remind us why cooperation between states is so important for conservation, particularly in landscapes where animal movement extends across protected areas and human settlements,” he stated on X.
