odisha news: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Jan 1: After being captured in a West Bengal forest three days ago, tigress Zeenat has finally been returned to the Similpal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
Official sources confirmed that the tigress was transported from the veterinary hospital of Alipore Zoo in Kolkata in a special vehicle during the early hours of Wednesday, following intervention by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). She crossed the interstate border at Jamshola around 1:25 am before being taken to Similpal.
A 10-member team from the Odisha Forest Department traveled to Kolkata to facilitate her return. For the time being, Zeenat will be housed in a soft enclosure within Similipal, and her health and activities will be closely monitored to determine the next steps.
Zeenat was cleared for transport after a veterinary team deemed her health satisfactory and completed the necessary documentation. The decision to transfer her back to Odisha was prompted by NTCA’s concerns regarding her previous confinement in a cramped enclosure at the zoo, which violated standard operating procedures (SOP). The Bengal Forest Department was instructed to expedite her return to prevent any further human interaction or imprinting during captivity.
