Tiger Zeenat keeps Bengal’s Forest officials on their toes as she crosses three districts; attempt to tranquillise big cat fails
The Hindu
Wild tigress Zeenat evades capture in West Bengal, prompting Forest department to use advanced technology for tracking.
Firing tranquilliser darts on the female tiger that is on the prowl in West Bengal’s Jangalmahal region has failed to capture Zeenat. On Saturday, the tigress was located in Bankura district, the third district of southern Bengal since it strayed to West Bengal after running away from Similipal National Park in neighbouring Odisha on December 10.
The three-year-old stray wild cat has been changing her location every few days and has kept the West Bengal Forest department on the edge ever since she entered the State from Jharkhand on December 19. Multiple attempts to catch Zeenat have failed as she has reportedly killed over three domestic goats and their carcasses were found in the nearby jungles.
She was first spotted in Jhargram district, and then travelled to Bandwan area of Purulia district on Thursday. She moved to Purulia’s Dangardi forests in Manbazar for only a day. She was in Purulia’s Bandwan for over five days. Now, she is in the Ranibandh area of Bankura according to Forest department officials from Saturday.
Speaking to The Hindu, Debal Roy, Chief Wildlife Warden, said: “We made an attempt to tranquillise her at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 28, but that failed. Our teams are in constant watch. We are trying our best and setting up cages in multiple locations. We are using both active and passive methods to get a hold of her.”
Mr. Roy also mentioned that there have been no reports of any locals being injured or attacked by the tigress to date even as the big cat remains on the move across three districts of southern Bengal. Officials have set up fencing across multiple locations to avoid any conflict.
The Forest department has also found multiple paw prints of Zeenat in Purulia and Bankura’s forests.
According to Forest officials, they now have three teams on constant watch in Bankura’s Ranibandh area, where the tigress was last sited. They are using radio trackers to track her movements at the moment.
