Efforts Underway to Tranquilize Tigress Zeenat and Bring her Back to Similipal

Bhubaneswar: Efforts are in full swing to tranquilise and relocate tigress Zeenat, who strayed into the forests of West Bengal from Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve. With no signs of the tigress returning to her habitat on her own, Baripada Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF) Prakash Chand Gogineni confirmed plans to tranquilize the big cat to ensure her safe return.

Officials from both the Odisha and West Bengal forest departments are closely monitoring Zeenat's movements.

According to RCCF Gogineni, the three-year-old tigress is in stable health. It has been over ten days since she ventured out of Similipal, traveling through parts of Jharkhand before being traced to the Belpahari forest in West Bengal.

Under National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines, tranquilisation is permitted only if the tiger poses a threat by straying into human settlements or attacking humans or livestock. Since Zeenat remains in the forest, direct intervention is restricted.

Sources indicate that Zeenat has found an ample prey base in the Belpahari forests, which may explain her reluctance to return to Similipal. Despite this, Odisha forest department officials are determined to bring her back. Camouflaged cages with trap doors, baited with cattle, have been set up to capture the tigress humanely, but she has yet to fall into any of the traps.

Given that Belpahari is a popular tourist destination, the West Bengal government has issued public advisories, warning tourists about the presence of the tiger to ensure their safety. Four specialised teams—three from Similipal Tiger Reserve and one from Sundarbans—are actively tracking Zeenat's movements to safeguard both human and wildlife interests.

Zeenat's journey has garnered significant attention due to her origins. Along with another tigress, Yamuna, Zeenat was translocated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to Similipal. The move was part of a genetic revitalization program aimed at introducing fresh genetic material into the Similipal Tiger Reserve.

As authorities continue their efforts to ensure Zeenat's safe return, the incident underscores the challenges of managing wildlife translocations and conserving endangered species in a rapidly changing ecological landscape.