Zeenat Approaches West Bengal's Tourist Hub, Foresters on Edge

Kolkata, Dec 29 (NationPress) Foresters have indicated that they have successfully isolated Zeenat, the three-year-old tigress hailing from Odisha’s Simlipal National Park, within a forested area adjacent to Bangopalpur Reserve Forest in the Bankura district of West Bengal.

Zeenat, who is one of the two tigresses relocated from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to Simlipal, wandered into the neighboring state of West Bengal approximately ten days ago. Throughout this time, the radio-collared tigress has traversed over 100 km through Purulia district before entering Bankura.

"Efforts were made to tranquilize the tigress on Saturday and again during the early hours of Sunday. However, we cannot confirm whether the darts struck her in the intended location. Her radio collar is currently emitting a continuous signal, allowing us to track her to a forested area near Bangopalpur. We have encircled the region with nets. Only after assessing her physical condition will we attempt to tranquilize the tigress again, as it may pose a life-threatening risk to the animal," a senior forest department official stated.

Authorities are anxious as Zeenat is currently situated within a kilometer of densely populated villages. Prohibitory measures have been enacted to prevent crowds from gathering or entering the forest area. Villagers have also been instructed to refrain from allowing their goats and cows to graze in the forested regions. During her journey through Purulia district, the tigress has killed and partially consumed 4-5 domestic goats that were grazing in the forests.

"We need to act swiftly and capture the tigress. The nearby forests offer a plentiful supply of deer. If she reaches that area, trapping her will become exceedingly challenging. Additionally, this location is only 3-4 km from Mukutmanipur – a highly popular tourist destination in West Bengal. Visitors from Kolkata and other areas are expected to arrive for the New Year celebrations in the coming days. Bangopalpur is a favored spot for tourists who stay at Mukutmanipur. It will be very difficult to keep them at bay, and the presence of the tigress could become an attraction for many. We aim to prevent that scenario, as it will complicate our efforts significantly," another senior forester commented.

Forest department teams consist of specialists from Odisha and the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. In recent days, nylon nets have been deployed to confine Zeenat, and trap cages baited with food have been placed to entice her. The tigress, appearing to be in excellent condition, has evaded capture, even leaping over a net on one occasion.