Tigress Zeenat brought to Similipal Tiger Reserve
Baripada: Tigress Zeenat returned to Similpal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj of Odisha yesterday night from West Bengal. The tigress was brought to Similpal from the animal hospital of Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo in a special vehicle.
As per reports, tigress Zeenat was brought to Odisha through the Green Corridor. Tigress Zeenat entered Odisha through the interstate border at Jamshola at 1:25 am yesterday night and was taken to Similpal.
Reportedly, a 10-member team of the Odisha Forest Department went to Kolkata to bring the tigress. The West Bengal Wildlife Department had written a letter to the NTCA to transfer her from Alipore.
The tigress will be kept in a soft enclosure of the Similipal and the next course of action will be taken after observing its health condition and activities.
Notably, the tigress was released in Similipal North’s core on November 23 after it was brought from Maharashtra’s Tadoba. However, it left the tiger reserve and was found entering Jharkhand on the night of December 8. Since then, a dedicated team of forest officials were keeping track on it based on the radio collar fixed on its neck.
The 3-year-old tiger then went to West Bengal and the forest officials had a very tough time in keeping a track on the big cat as the radio collar stopped functioning due to some technical glitches. They had some relief after finding it roaming in the Bankura forest on Saturday. Following this, they closed all routes within a few kilometre radius of the forest and accelerated efforts to tranquilise it and succeeded in doing on Sunday after 21 days of trail.
After tranquilising the big cat, the forest officials kept it in the Alipore zoo for an observation before handing over to the Odisha forest department.
However, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) wrote to the West Bengal government seeking clarification for keeping Zeenat in the Alipur Zoo instead of immediately shifting her to Similipal as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
