Senior forest officials in eastern India are facing a significant challenge as they try to capture Zeenat, the tigress who has strayed from Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve and is roaming Bengal.
Despite multiple attempts to tranquillise her over the past four days, the big cat has evaded capture.
Zeenat, who left Similipal earlier this month, is now in the Raika Hills in Purulia’s Bandwan. She has been moving through the forests, and on Friday, she reached Belpahari after spending several days in Jharkhand’s woods.
Although three teams, including one from the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, have been deployed to tranquillise her, Zeenat has avoided the baits set to lure her.
"The multiple efforts to tranquillise the tigress were unsuccessful as we did not find a suitable situation because of the hilly landscape. Moreover, the animal’s health and safety are our top priority,” said S. Kulandaivel, the chief conservator of forests for Bengal’s western circle.
As the efforts to tranquillise Zeenat failed, a new team from Odisha left for Bengal on Monday to assist the existing tranquillising teams.
"We have received approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority to this effect," said Odisha’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha.
Since the big cat has been moving through multiple forests, senior foresters are puzzled about why she entered Bengal’s Jungle Mahal, which is not a typical tiger habitat.
Qamar Qureshi, a retired senior scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India, believes the movement is natural for Zeenat and any other tiger reintroduced into a new area.
"Many animals brought in for reintroduction in new areas behave this way as they start searching for resources like food and water. This tigress is doing the same. Tigers grow up with their mothers and learn to navigate landscapes through forests or riverine tracks. So, when they come out of a particular area, they do what they know,” said Qureshi, who has worked extensively on tigers.
"It’s a random walk and it may end up anywhere they find proper resources,” he added.
Zeenat was brought to Similipal on November 15 from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to improve genetic diversity in Odisha. Another tigress, two-and-a-half-year-old Jamuna, was brought from Maharashtra on October 27 to Similipal.
"Jamuna is fit and healthy in Similipal, while Zeenat is moving towards Bengal. The Odisha and Bengal forest departments are tracking and monitoring her. She is in good health," said Prakash Chand Gogineni, the field director of Similipal Tiger Reserve.