Bhubaneswar: Tigress Zeenat is set to roam free in Similipal Tiger Reserve once again within a month, as wildlife authorities prepare for her final re-release into the wild. The big cat, currently housed in a two-hectare enclosure, will first be moved to a larger 10-hectare space in the coming days as part of the phased rewilding process, wildlife authorities said.
Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha said the situation is turning conducive for releasing of Zeenat, translocated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserve in Nov last year, soon.
It has been put in a confined area after it moved away from Similipal and was recaptured from West Bengal in Dec. From the smaller enclosure, she will be moved to the bigger one within the next few days, he said.
“Behaviour of the tigress is being closely monitored by experts. Coinciding with its upcoming estrus cycle, when she is receptive to mating, she may be released into the wild. This can happen anytime from within two weeks to a month,” Jha told TOI, explaining that getting a mate will doubly ensure that she makes Similipal her home.
Jha said the rehabilitated tigress has demonstrated natural hunting patterns, successfully making kills every three to four days, confirming her readiness for release into the wild.
Zeenat’s translocation had earlier kept authorities of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand on tenterhooks as it left Similipal and entered West Bengal.