Zeenat walks into Purulia plantation, yet to be darted | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar/Purulia/Jhargram/Kolkata: Tigress Zeenat on Friday entered the Manbazar forest block in Bengal’s Purulia district after travelling 15 to 20 km from her previous location in a hilly forest of Bandwan range in the same district since Thursday night. It is now in an area encompassed by human settlements and hiding in a plantation of Akashbani and bamboo trees near the local beat office.
The three-year-old tigress, who strayed out of her habitat in Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve 19 days ago, has remained elusive so far even as forest officials have stepped up efforts to capture her.
On Friday evening, the big cat played 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 to track her movement. Multiple nylon nets have been put around its current location.
“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, which separated her hideout from nearby villages, she couldn’t be darted,” said an official. “Tranquilising a shy tiger is not easy,” said Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni.
On Thursday, four additional tranquillisation teams from the Sundarbans, Jhargram and Midnapore had joined the existing teams from Similipal and Sundarbans tiger reserves.
Also, it is a serious challenge for Bengal wildlife personnel to keep residents of nearby villages at bay and continue monitoring. “We have to keep the tiger’s and people’s safety in mind and tread cautiously. So far, in more than two weeks, everything is going on smoothly,” said Gogineni. Chief conservator of forest (south-west) Bidyut Sarkar said since the area is dotted by hamlets, police have imposed BNS 163 to prevent gatherings. “Since the tiger is now within a very small forest patch, extreme precaution is being taken to safeguard the big cat, the staff and residents of nearby villages,” Sarkar added.
The three-year-old tigress, who strayed out of her habitat in Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve 19 days ago, has remained elusive so far even as forest officials have stepped up efforts to capture her.
On Friday evening, the big cat played 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 to track her movement. Multiple nylon nets have been put around its current location.
“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, which separated her hideout from nearby villages, she couldn’t be darted,” said an official. “Tranquilising a shy tiger is not easy,” said Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni.
On Thursday, four additional tranquillisation teams from the Sundarbans, Jhargram and Midnapore had joined the existing teams from Similipal and Sundarbans tiger reserves.
Also, it is a serious challenge for Bengal wildlife personnel to keep residents of nearby villages at bay and continue monitoring. “We have to keep the tiger’s and people’s safety in mind and tread cautiously. So far, in more than two weeks, everything is going on smoothly,” said Gogineni. Chief conservator of forest (south-west) Bidyut Sarkar said since the area is dotted by hamlets, police have imposed BNS 163 to prevent gatherings. “Since the tiger is now within a very small forest patch, extreme precaution is being taken to safeguard the big cat, the staff and residents of nearby villages,” Sarkar added.
