“At around 4.09 pm, Zeenat was successfully sedated and later caged,” Ray told The Indian Express over the phone. “This was achieved through hard work and with the contribution of forest officials from both West Bengal and Odisha,” he said.
Forest officials said the animal would first be transported to Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, where vets would check her health and vital parameters. Later, it would be transported back to Similipal Tiger Reserve, from where it had first wandered to Jharkhand and then into West Bengal.
According to sources, forest officials had been trying to dart Zeenat since Saturday. Out of the five attempts made on Saturday and Sunday, three darts hit Zeenat, but the animal could not be properly tranquilised. The forest officials then resumed their operation on Sunday afternoon.
Explaining the difficulties in sedating a tiger with a tranquiliser dart, Ray said, “One has to see whether the dart has hit the right angle, whether the dart has properly penetrated, and whether the tranquilising liquid in the dart is enough to put the animal to sleep.”
Odisha’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), P K Jha, said the animal was healthy and would be brought back to Similipal as soon as possible.
He said a 15-member team from Odisha’s Forest Department was part of the operation held jointly with West Bengal Forest Department officials to capture the tigress.
“We will keep the tigress in a soft enclosure within the Similipal core area and keep it there for a longer period to ensure that it can better adapt to the region. We will track the movement of the tigress in the enclosure through the radio collar attached to its neck,” Jha told The Indian Express.
Zeenat was introduced to Similipal Tiger Reserve from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra on November 14, as a part of a programme to strengthen the gene pool of tigers in the reserve. Ten days later, the tigress was released to the core area of the reserve.
On December 8, Zeenat wandered out of the reserve and strayed into Jharkhand. After roaming in Jharkhand’s Chakulia area for over a week, Zeenat entered Jhargram in West Bengal.
It then moved to Bandwan in Purulia, and from there to Manbazar in the same district. On Sunday morning, the tigress entered the Ranibandh area in Bankura.
During its trek from Similipal to Bankura, Zeenat covered over 300 km.
Experts believe it is common for tigers to cover distances to find a suitable area or territory with a good prey base.
Praising the forest officials and district administration for their successful efforts in rescuing tigress Zeenat, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on X, “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 towards 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.”
Bengal Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda told The Indian Express over the phone that officials successfully prevented any human-animal conflict during the hunt. “Officers and workers of the state forest department worked day and night for Zeenat. Apart from officials from Odisha, we had brought in experts from the Sunderbans to tranquilise the tigress. We were all very tense. There was a chance that the tigress could get hurt or villagers could get hurt. The best part is that no man-animal conflict arose. We could save both sides,” he said.