Baripada, Dec 29: Tigress Zeenat, who had wandered from Odisha's Simlipal forest into Bankura district in West Bengal, was tranquilized on Sunday afternoon in Gopalpur forest, after several attempts earlier in the day to sedate her.
Prakash Chand Gogineni, the Baripada Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF), confirmed that the tigress is now confined in a cage, and efforts are underway to safely return her to Odisha.
"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. This rescue is a shining example of teamwork and dedication toward wildlife conservation. 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!," posted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on X.
Earlier, West Bengal’s Chief Wildlife Warden, Debal Roy, provided an update, stating that the tigress was still located in the same area of Gopalpur forest, where she had been encircled with double netting. The perimeter of the netting was gradually reduced to contain the animal within a smaller, secured area.
The tigress was first tranquilized at 1:20 am on Sunday but failed to respond to the sedatives despite multiple doses. Roy explained that the amount of tranquilizer that can be administered to the animal is limited, and after repeated unsuccessful attempts, the operation to sedate her was halted temporarily at 4:30 am.
"The tigress was in an excited state, which made it difficult to sedate her," Roy noted.
Zeenat, who was brought to Simlipal from Maharashtra's Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) last month to contribute to the region's tiger gene pool, had strayed from her designated territory. Having crossed into West Bengal from Similipal, she has been roaming the forests along the tri-junction of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha for nearly a week, covering over 120 km in search of new territory.
