TV
The strayed tigress Zeenat continues to exhibit her regular behaviour within her enclosure. Ongoing monitoring of her daily activities by the Forest Department could result in her return to the wild soon, sources said on Friday.
However, Zeenat’s return to Odisha forest is contingent upon the approval of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The NTCA is to take a final call in this regard.
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The monitoring exercise on January 16 was conducted collaboratively by the NTCA, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the state Forest Department. Daily observation reports are currently being submitted to the NTCA for evaluation.
On the other hand, tigress Yamuna is now busy in preparing her territory across Similipal, Hadgarh, and Kuldiha wildlife sanctuaries, where she is seen active.
Worth mentioning, Zeenat initially brought from Maharashtra zoo to Mayurbhanj’s Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) as part of a tiger conservation initiative, previously embarked on an unexpected journey, raising questions about her return.
The NTCA, on December 31, 2024, had issued a show cause notice to the Chief Wildlife Warden of West Bengal over the shifting of tigress Zeenat, who strayed from Odisha’s Simlipal forest to West Bengal and was later tranquilised at Bankura, to Alipore Zoo.
In a letter, the statutory body had asked the authorities concerned to furnish the reasons why tigress Zeenat was shifted to Alipore Zoo.
“Captured tigress (163_S1) that moved from Odisha to West Bengal via Jharkhand is presently housed at Alipore Zoo. The said tigress was brought to Similipal TR from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra under a special initiative to improve the genetic constitution of tigers at Similipal TR,” the NTCA letter read.
Must Read: NTCA issues show cause notice over shifting of tigress Zeenat to Alipore zoo in WB
The big cat under reference is to be released into the wild, and in order to avoid any imprinting or human interaction in captivity, as was earlier requested by Chief Wildlife Warden-Odisha, under Section 38 O(2) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the said tigress may be translocated back to Similipal Tiger Reserve at the earliest following the due process of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the official communiqué mentioned.
