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Tigress Zeenat in Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha
Tigress Zeenat, who had kept the forest departments of three states on high alert, will return to Similipal today, ending a 21-day ordeal involving several failed attempts to lure and tranquilize the feline.
The three-year-old tigress was tranquilized yesterday in the Bankura forest of West Bengal following multiple failed attempts to dart her by joint teams from the Odisha and West Bengal forest departments since December 20.
At around 4 pm yesterday, Zeenat was tranquilized and transported in an unconscious state to Alipore Zoo. As per official procedures, a health check-up of the big cat will be undertaken and after all interstate wildlife transfer procedures are completed, she will be brought back to the Similipal Tiger Reserve, from where she had escaped on the night of December 8.
On November 14 this year, the 3-year-old tigress named Zeenat reached Odisha from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) as part of a translocation program aimed at improving the gene pool of the native tiger population at Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj, Odisha.
She was placed in a soft enclosure where wildlife experts and veterinarians monitored her health condition 24/7 for the next 10 days. Despite being slightly agitated, she soon acclimatized herself, successfully hunting down prey laid out by the forest department.
ALSO READ: Tigress Zeenat Released in Similipal Core Area to Boost Odisha's Tiger Conservation
At about 4 pm, the gates of the soft enclosure containing Zeenat were opened. However, forest officials labeled her a shy tigress who waited until 9:30 pm that day before walking out into the core area of the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
Fitted with radio collars and GPS monitoring, the tigress went ahead and explored the area to carve out her territory.
On the intervening night of December 7 and December 8, Zeenat ventured outside the limits of Similipal and entered an adjoining forest in Jharkhand, north of STR.
Soon enough, forest officials from Jharkhand mobilized and swung into action to track the big cat.
Forest officials updated that Zeenat had passed through the Bisoi and Bangiriposi forests of Odisha and was spotted roaming around the Chakulia and Rajabasa regions near Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, on that day.
The reports came even as the tigress had remained elusive for about 4 days due to dense forests and overgrowth hindering radio monitoring. She was finally located in an area about 20 kilometers away from Odisha’s borders and 35 kilometers away from her initial starting point.
ALSO READ: 10 days after mysteriously missing from Similipal, Tigress Zeenat's whereabouts still remain unclear
More than 10 days after leaving Similipal, Tigress Zeenat was reported to have entered forests near Belpahari, West Bengal, on the morning of December 20.
As such, the elusive big cat likely spent about 11 days in the forests of Jharkhand before entering the neighboring state through Chakulia.
It was on this date that the West Bengal Forest Department began its procedures to track down Zeenat and ensure she does not venture close to human settlements.
Forest department officials from West Bengal confirmed that Zeenat had entered the dense forests of Purulia in the state.
Data from her satellite-enabled collar showed that the tigress was in good health and had even begun hunting in the area.
However, her visibility remained low due to the thick vegetation in the forests. As such, several attempts to tranquilize her failed. By now, three teams of forest personnel (two from West Bengal and one from Odisha) were actively involved in bringing Zeenat back to Similipal.
ALSO READ: Tiger relocation travesty! After Zeenat, tigress Yamuna ‘escapes’ into Kuldiha forests
On Christmas day, Zeenat was reported to have killed a goat and eaten a substantial portion of it near the forests on the Raika Hill in Bandwan, West Bengal.
Another forest department team from the Sundarbans National Park joined the drive to track down the tigress. Nylon nets were put up around the forest periphery to restrict her movement, slow her down, and eventually tranquilize her.
Roughly 20 days after leaving STR, Zeenat was spotted in the Gopalpur jungle in Ranibandh, Bankura district, West Bengal. By now, the feline had traveled more than 120 kilometers from her initial area in Similipal in search of new territory.
Forest personnel teams from Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal had gathered in the nearby areas to attempt to dart the tigress with a tranquilizer gun.
A shot was fired but was soon reported to have failed, leaving her to roam further ahead.
At about 3:56 pm, Zeenat was successfully tranquilized in Bankura. After 21 days of giving sleepless nights to forest officials of three states, the tigress was finally put in a cage after she fell unconscious and was taken to Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo for a medical examination.
Tigress Zeenat will return to Odisha following her health checkup, most likely, before the end of December 30. Further steps regarding her stay at Similipal Tiger Reserve have not yet been detailed by the forest department.
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