Zeenat on move after 5 days, reaches Purulia’s Manbazar; tracking teams fail to dart tigress as it escapes net fencing
Times of India | 28 December 2024
123456 Purulia/Jhargram/Kolkata: After a five-day break with minimal movement, Odisha tigress Zeenat resumed walking in the early hours of Friday.
She traversed 15-20 kilometres from her previous location in a hilly forest of Purulia's Bandwan range to reach Manbazar 2 range of the same district, arriving in an area encompassed by human settlements and hiding in a plantation of Akashboni and bamboo trees near the local beat office.
Late on Friday night, it managed to jump over the nylon net fencing set up around the plantation forest to restrict its movement.
Earlier on Friday evening, it played a hide-and-seek with foresters, who were unable to get a clear view of the tigress and didn't fire the dart. Foresters used night-vision drones for over 40 minutes in evening to track her movement. "Three trap cages have been placed with baits and one has been placed with a shooter inside. Though it was spotted twice moving along nylon nets, she couldn't be darted," said an official.
Between Dec 22 and Dec 27 morning, she made a few goat kills, concealed herself in the rocky terrains of a hilly forest, with her collar emitting sporadic signals, and ultimately moved after being driven by forest tracking teams and hulla parties on Thursday night.
In the early hours of Friday, the tigress entered Dangardi village area of Manbazar 2 block.
Upon leaving the dense forest cover, her collar began transmitting regular signals, facilitating easier tracking for the foresters. They encircled the area with nylon nets to restrict her movement and obtain a clearer view of the big cat.
On Thursday, four additional tranquillisation teams from the Sundarbans, Jhargram and Midnapore joined the existing teams from Similipal and Sundarbans tiger reserves.
Population in Manbazar is considerably higher compared to the villages near Bandwan range where the tiger had been hiding since Dec 22.
Chief conservator of forest (south-west) Bidyut Sarkar said since the area is dotted by hamlets, police arrived and imposed BNS 163 to prevent gatherings. "Since it is now within a very small forest patch, extreme precaution is being taken to safeguard the big cat, the staff and local residents," Sarkar added. Purbi Mahato, DFO (Kangsabati south division), said, "Efforts are on to capture the tigress."
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