Bhubaneswar:Nearly after 24 days roaming in different forests and Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo, tigress Zeenat returned to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district.
The tigress, which walked into Jharkhand forests on December 8 and later entered West Bengal, was brought to STR in the early hours today. She was released in an enclosure in the core area of STR in the morning.
The tigress was brought to Simlipal from the veterinary hospital of Alipore Zoo in Kolkata in a special vehicle, a day after the intervention of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Tigress Zeenat reached Similipal. The animal was soft released into an enclosure at 7.30 AM today. It is in good health, STR Field Director, Prakash Chand Gogineni said.
Officials said the tigress will be monitored to assess its health and behaviour and further actions will be determined accordingly.
Zeenat was released in Similipal Tiger Reserve’s core area on November 23 after it was brought from Maharashtra’s Tadoba. The tigress strayed into West Bengal via Jharkhand, complicating tracking efforts.
The tigress was tranquilised on Sunday and sent to the Alipore Zoo for observation. The tigress was handed over to the Forest Department for return to Similipal.
The NTCA has separately held back the permission to relocate two Royal Bengal Tigers from Madhya Pradesh to Debrigarh until the completion of the probe into how tigresses Zeenat and Yamuna left the STR. The NTCA earlier granted technical clearance for the translocation.