Tigress Zeenat Moves from Odisha to West Bengal After Straying into Jharkhand

Bhubaneswar: Tigress Zeenat, who strayed from Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district into Jharkhand in May, has now crossed over into West Bengal. Prakash Gogineni, Field Director of Similipal Tiger Reserve, confirmed that the big cat is currently roaming in the Jhargram forest of West Bengal.

After spending nearly two months navigating through Jharkhand, Zeenat made her way into West Bengal. A dedicated team of forest and veterinary officers continues to monitor her movements closely. Efforts are being made to safely return her to Similipal forest, Gogineni said.

The tigress, relocated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve last month, embarked on an extraordinary journey spanning over 100 kilometers, venturing close to the West Bengal border. Her movement has led to increased vigilance, with the Jharkhand government imposing Section 163 of BNSS in four villages near Rajabasa forest under Chakulia forest division.

Zeenat first arrived in Jashipur on November 14 and was kept in a soft enclosure near Chahala for 10 days. She was then released into the core area of Similipal North on November 24. However, on Monday night, the three-year-old tigress exited her habitat within the Similipal Tiger Reserve and moved into the forests of neighboring Jharkhand.