Bhubaneswar: Tigress Zeenat, who had left Odisha’s Similipal nearly three weeks back and reached West Bengal, has been finally captured using tranquiliser.
Revealing this to media on Sunday, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF), Baripada, Prakash Gogineni said Zeenat was last traced through her radio collar in an open space near a dam close to a forest in Bandwan of Bankura district West Bengal on Saturday.
The Forest officials of Odisha and West Bengal, who were on alert and were tracking her, zeroed in on her. Accompanied by a tranquilising team, they rushed to the spot and encircled the area.
A nylon-net fence, stretching several kilometres, was put up around the area the tigress was in.
The three-year-old tigress was successfully darted and tranquillised in the Banpukri forest of Bankura at 3.56 pm. “An unconscious Zeenat was put in a cage and brought her to Alipore Zoo in Kolkata on Sunday afternoon,” said Gogineni.
He said that Zeenat would be kept under observation and her health condition checked by a team of veterinarians. When she would be found fit for movement, she would be brought back to Similipal. “I am with the tigress now…. Once she comes back to Similipal, we will keep her inside a soft enclosure for a few days and observe her,” he added.
The first dart was fired around 2 pm but it was unsuccessful. “Zeenat was hit but, apparently, the chemical didn’t get injected properly. She slept for around five minutes and then got up and began moving again,” The Telegraph reported, quoting a forest official.
Zeenat was translocated from Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha on November 14 to strengthen the gene pool in the reserve. The 3-year-old tigress explored the northern part of Similipal between November 24 and December 8 when she walked past its boundary to explore her own territory.
She initially strayed into Jharkhand and moved further away from Chakulia range into West Bengal territory on the night of December 19, creating hurdles in the Forest department’s plans for possible tranquillisation.
Also Read: Odisha Similipal’s Tigress Zeenat Comes Out Of West Bengal Forest, Traced In Open Land
Through her 21-day odyssey, Zeenat smartly sidestepped all baits in the form of goat and buffalo. Multiple measures to dart her after she entered Purulia also went in vain until she was finally caught in Bankura, where the land was flatter.
She wandered through three states and covering 300 km over the last 21 days.
Bengal forest department officials expressed relief that Zeenat had been caught safely against the backdrop of a bitter memory from 2018 when villagers killed a roaming tiger in Lalgarh, Jhargram.
Mamata Banerjee Shares Clip Of Zeenat Capture
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated the forest officials for captured Zeenat unharmed and called the rescue a shining example of team work.
“My heartiest congratulations to the forest officials of West Bengal on the successful rescue of the tigress- Zeenat. My sincere gratitude to the district administration, police, panchayat functionaries and the local people for their invaluable support and collaboration in this remarkable effort,” Mamata tweeted.
“Your combined efforts have not only saved a majestic creature that strayed out of its habitat but also reinforced the importance of protecting our natural heritage. Thank you for your outstanding work!” she added.
My heartiest congratulations to the forest officials of West Bengal on the successful rescue of the tigress- Zeenat. My sincere gratitude to the district administration, police, panchayat functionaries and the local people for their invaluable support and collaboration in this… pic.twitter.com/KHJQHLhOzK
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 29, 2024
