NTCA Expresses Outrage Over Zeenat's Confinement, Urges West Bengal Officials to Act
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Kolkata, Jan 1 (NationPress) The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is extremely displeased with the West Bengal forest department for making Zeenat, the three-year-old tigress from Simlipal Tiger Reserve, spend another night confined at the Alipore Zoological Garden in Kolkata.
Zeenat's journey of nearly 300 km, which spanned 21 days, from Simlipal in Odisha to the Bankura district of West Bengal concluded on Sunday evening when she was finally tranquilized and placed in a cage.
A senior NTCA official stated, "Senior officers and foresters from the Odisha Forest Department participated in the operations to capture Zeenat. The cage used for her transfer post-tranquilization is from Simlipal Tiger Reserve. What prompted the West Bengal forest officials to transport the tigress all the way to Kolkata? Ideally, she should have been taken back to Simlipal where necessary medical evaluations could have been conducted. If deemed fit by the veterinarians, she could have been released into the wild by Friday. This detour to Kolkata has delayed the entire process."
The NTCA is demanding an official explanation from the West Bengal Forest Department regarding this situation. The leading organization for tiger conservation in the country has emphasized that a wild tiger or tigress should be kept in captivity for the least amount of time possible if cleared for release. Prolonged captivity can induce significant mental stress in large cats that naturally roam home ranges exceeding 100 square km.
"The West Bengal Forest Department's decision to keep the tigress in captivity for over 300 km in the wrong direction is concerning. She will now need to endure another 350 km of captivity back to Simlipal, undergo medical assessments once more, and then be released into the wild. Ideally, she should have been transported straight to Simlipal from her capture site. She could have been released by now. This was a reckless decision that could have serious health implications for the animal," the official remarked.
The Odisha Forest Department has also reached out to the Chief Wildlife Warden of West Bengal, requesting the immediate return of the tigress. The West Bengal Forest Department has stated that they are awaiting guidance from higher authorities.
The official pointed out that relocating a wild animal to an urban setting is inappropriate unless absolutely necessary for advanced treatment or surgery. The urban environment adversely affects the animal due to poor air quality and noise. With the year's end approaching, Zeenat is likely to suffer from the pollution created by firecrackers as they will be set off across Kolkata, and the Alipore Zoological Gardens is situated in the city's center.
