Kolkata, Jan 19 (PTI) With the spotting of a Royal Bengal Tiger in Buxa Reserve Forest area in Alipurduar district, the Forest department is using customised M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive
Protection and Ecological Status) to ascertain if the big cat, believed to be a male, is the third tiger discovered in the belt since 2023.
The tiger was spotted on camera in the first week of January during the All India Tiger Estimation exercise, which commenced in the Buxa Tiger Reserve as part of the 2025–26 tiger estimation cycle with the installation of over 250 camera traps, a senior Forest department official told PTI on Monday.
It was again caught on camera on January 18. The census is conducted once every four years.
"A total of 80 locations have been identified across the reserve for the survey. At these sites, teams are documenting the presence of the tiger by identifying pugmarks, scat and other physical signs. Data collection is being carried out by walking along designated transect lines in accordance with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines," he said.
More than 200 forest personnel have been deployed for the sign survey.
Asked how it can be sure about the presence of another tiger, different from the previous two ones, the official said, "We are more or less sure. Because like difference in finger tip impressions of every single human in this world, the stripe marks on every tiger's back are different from one another. Also, from the image and size, the tiger spotted in 2026 is a male one, which might have strayed from the forest corridor in Bhutan."
The M-STrIPES technology will also help in determining the origin of the third tiger and its original habitat.
"It can either be trying to find a new territory due to the presence of other tigers from its original habitat in the mountain foothills or seeking a female partner. We have to ensure it never faces any problem in its new place and feels at home. If the number of tiger population rises in Buxa that will bring cheers to wildlife lovers," he said.
Once the survey is completed, it will also reveal the exact number of tigers in Buxa and clarify whether all these are resident tigers or individuals that have migrated from neighbouring states or countries.
In Sunderbans, the number of tigers has been estimated at 105, while in Buxa, it is believed to be two to three so far based on sightings via camera-trap, the official said. PTI SUS RG
