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Camera trap images have revealed that a tiger trekked from Sikkim in Northeast India to Bhutan, crossing the international boundary, according to the state government.
This validates the existence of essential wildlife corridors between India and Bhutan and underscores the need to protect them, a statement by the government on July 5 noted.
The tiger moved from Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in Sikkim’s Pakyong district to Samtse district in Bhutan.
Pangolakha was established in 2002. It spans 128 square kilometres and serves as a crucial corridor for wildlife, particularly tigers, between India and Bhutan.
“In collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, camera traps installed across Sikkim’s high-altitude regions documented three tigers in the sanctuary between 2018 and 2024. This indicates the sanctuary’s vital role in tiger conservation and places Sikkim on the national Tiger Conservation map,” the statement noted.
The tiger’s movement was revealed during an international workshop on “Countering Wildlife Trafficking”, held from June 11-13, 2024, under the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) hosted by Bhutan, where officials from various South Asian countries participated.
That is when Sikkim and Bhutan forest officials shared camera trap images.
A careful analysis of the camera trap images showed that one tiger’s distinctive stripe patterns matched those from Sikkim and Bhutan. This, according to the Wildlife Institute of India, meant that the individual had moved from Sikkim to Bhutan.
“The movement of tigers reflects the effectiveness of habitat preservation and restoration efforts emphasizing their resilience and the health of Sikkim’s ecosystem,” the statement noted.
The Sikkim Forest and Environment Department will now scale up monitoring, strengthen law enforcement, and involve local communities.
“These initiatives aim to ensure the long-term survival of tiger populations and signal a promising future for wildlife conservation across borders,” the statement said.
This is not the first time that a tiger has trekked across a long distance.
In 2019, a tiger journeyed 3,000 kilometres to the Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district — the longest walk by a tiger ever recorded in India. Last year, another tiger travelled from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to Odisha, covering 2,000 kilometres.