Tigress Zeenat Located in Open Ground Near West Bengal Dam, Tranquillisation Planned

Bhubaneswar: Zeenat, a tigress who wandered nearly 200 kilometers from Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve to West Bengal’s Bandwan forest, has been located in an open area near a dam, making tranquillisation efforts more feasible. Prem Kumar Jha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Odisha, shared the update on the tigress, who had traveled extensively since her translocation to Similipal last month.

Zeenat, equipped with a radio collar, was initially traced in West Bengal’s Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve before moving to Bandwan forest. Her current location in open terrain has presented an opportunity for forest officials to tranquilise her and transport her back to Similipal Tiger Reserve.

Forest officials from Odisha and West Bengal, along with tranquillisation experts, are on high alert, closely monitoring the tigress’s movements. Efforts are being made to lure Zeenat to a more suitable location with food provisions to facilitate the tranquillisation process.

Jha stated, “The tigress has come out of the forest and is now in an open ground near a dam close to Bandwan forest. This makes it convenient to tranquillise her and ensure her safe return to Similipal.”

Zeenat, a three-year-old tigress, was translocated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve to Similipal on November 14 to enhance the genetic diversity of the reserve. Initially, she explored Similipal’s northern areas but ventured beyond its boundaries in early December, eventually straying into Jharkhand and later into West Bengal.

Her journey created logistical challenges for the forest departments of Odisha and West Bengal, delaying tranquillisation efforts.

The current operation highlights the collaboration between the two states’ forest departments and their shared commitment to wildlife conservation. The safe return of Zeenat to Similipal is crucial for the success of the translocation initiative and for fostering a robust gene pool in the tiger reserve.