Tigress Zeenat Tranquilized in West Bengal

Baripada: In a major relief for the forest officials, Tigress Zeenat has been finally tranquilized in the neighbouring state of West Bengal today after 21 days of trail, informed Wildlife Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Prem Kuma Jha.

According to the PCCF, a joint team of the Odisha Forest Department and the West Bengal Forest Department successfully tranquilised Tigress Zeenat this afternoon in Bankura forest under Purulia district of West Bengal.

Meanwhile, the three-year-old tigress is being taken to the Alipur Zoo in Kolkata in a special cage and she will be kept under observation there, he said adding that it will be brought back to Similipal if her health condition is found to be perfect.

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 tigress 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 so this afternoon after 21 days of trail.