After three-hour operation, Buxa tigress Doars Rani tranquilised in Assam, to be brought back to Bengal

After days of movement across villages and human settlements in Assam, the Buxa tigress Doars Rani, also known as BTR TF-1, was finally tranquilised on Tuesday following a three-hour operation in Dotma area of Assam's Kokrajhar district.

The tigress was brought under control using a tranquiliser dart after forest department teams tracked its movement in the area. Officials from the Assam and West Bengal forest departments jointly carried out the operation, which involved several hours of monitoring and pursuit.

The operation concluded in the evening after forest personnel, assisted by several trained elephants, managed to tranquilise the animal.

West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon was present at the spot along with senior forest department officials to oversee the operation.

According to forest department sources, the tigress will now be transported by road to Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar district of West Bengal.

Speaking after the operation, Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said the tranquilisation was carried out after receiving permission from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

He thanked the Assam government for extending full cooperation during the operation.

The minister said the decision to tranquilise and bring back the tigress was taken because it had moved close to human settlements.

The tigress had crossed the boundaries of Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 23 and entered Assam. Since then, it had been moving through different villages and inhabited areas, prompting forest officials from both states to closely monitor its movements.

The joint operation was launched to safely capture the animal and bring it back to its original habitat in Buxa Tiger Reserve.