Bankura: Tigress Zeenat, who was captured after a long hunt on Sunday, has been shifted to the Alipore Veterinary Hospital in Kolkata at midnight through a Green Corridor under tight security. She will be kept under VVIP observation for some days.
She was served with five kilos of red beef in the morning and no serious health issue has been found by the veterinarians. The decision on whether she will be sent back to Odisha or kept in Alipore is yet to be taken and the government will have the final say on it.
"Zeenat is under observation for the time being. She was served food in the morning but refused to eat. There is nothing to worry about as she was in the wild for the past few days where she preyed on some animals. A big cat doesn't need to eat every day as there is nothing unusual about it. So far, no uneasiness has been observed in her and it needs to be inquired whether she was given any medicine. Her final destination is yet to be finalised," Debal Ray, Chief Wildlife Warden of West Bengal, said.
After being on the prowl for three weeks, tigress Zeenat, whose week-long escapade kept the residents of Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia on the edge, was finally sedated and captured by forest officials on Sunday afternoon.
The operation, which involved collaboration between forest departments of Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, concluded at 3:30 pm when the tigress was darted in the forests of Bankura.
"The forest department will remember Zeenat. News of her capture came within half an hour of the tranquilisation attempt," Singaram Kulandaivel, Chief Conservator of Forests, Bankura, said.
During the escapade, the tigress traversed an estimated 300 kilometres. Sources in the forest department said Zeenat was roaming in Gosaidihi of Bankura on Saturday night. While an initial tranquilization dart failed to subdue her, a second attempt on Sunday was successful.
On November 23, three-year-old Zeenat was translocated from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha. She fled and strayed into Jharkhand on December 8. From the radio collar, her location was traced at Kakrajhor forest under the Belpahari Police Station of Jhargram in West Bengal on December 15. A search operation ensued with the collaboration from the forest departments of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand. Despite the team’s best efforts, Zeenat proved elusive, evading capture for days.
However, in the middle of the night of December 21, the GPS tracker confirmed Zeenat's location close to Purulia. Following the trail, the Purulia forest department and a special team from the Sunderban Tiger Project combed the entire forest area but she could not be traced as by then she retreated to the forests of Bankura from where she was finally captured.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated the forest department and officials for their success.
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… pic.twitter.com/KHJQHLhOzK
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 29, 2024
In a post on X, she wrote, "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!"
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