Odisha tigress darted in Bengal using tranquillising gun, yet to be verified if it’s hit: Officials

After 18 days and crossing over 300 kilometres across three states — Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, for the first time, the three-year-old tigress, who had strayed out of Odisha’s Similipal National Park earlier this month, was darted with a tranquilliser gun on Saturday afternoon at 3.15pm. However, the initiative was unsuccessful.

A second attempt of darting at Zeenat was taken at 9.45 pm which, too, failed.

According to the officials, the tigress was spotted in the forest area near Gosaindihi village in Ranibandh area of Purulia district and the team fired a dart from the tranquilliser gun at it Zeenat.

“Zeenat has been darted with a tranquilliser gun but there are many slips between the lips and the cup. One has to see whether the dart has hit her in the right angle, whether the dart has properly penetrated, whether the tranquilising liquid in the dart is enough to put her to sleep,” said Chief Wildlife Warden Debal Roywhile speaking with The Indian Express over phone.

“Our teams, including Odisha’s, are watching the situation and tracking the tigress,” he added.

Purabi Mahato DFO, Purulia, while speaking with the Express said, “Zeenat is moving. When the darting is being carried out, it is missing its target. However, officials are continuing to track the tigress and will re-attempt darting.”

“We have darted once. Let’s wait. It is a scientific process,” said S Kulandaivel, chief conservator of forest, central circle, West Bengal, while speaking with media persons.

Another forest officer said tranquiliser shots had been fired targeting her on the basis of the location of her radio collar. “However, since visibility is poor in the jungle due to the prevalence of misty conditions, forest personnel cannot directly go near her. It is yet to be verified whether she has been hit,” he said.

Forest personnel from West Bengal’s Sundarbans and Jhargram, and Odisha are ready with tranquiliser guns and cages to capture her, he said. “She is now some distance away from the Gosaidihi village in Ranibandh. The locality has been surrounded by nylon nets. The waiting game continues but she will be trapped soon,” he added.

Meanwhile, forest officials in Odisha said the operation to tranquilize the tigress is going on as one team from Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) has been tracking the movement of the big cat.

Odisha’s principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) PK Jha said they have been successful in cordoning the area of the tigress, which would be around 20 to 25 hectares. “We will make another attempt to tranquilize the tigress and to bring it back to Similipal and hope to get success in a day or two,” Jha told The Indian Express.

A senior forest official said the Similipal authorities are looking for a new area to release the tigress, when it will be brought back.

Zeenat, a three year old tigress introduced to Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha from Tadoba – Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra on November 14, as a part of a programme to strengthen the reserve’s gene pool. On December 10, Zeenat escaped Similipal Tiger Reserve and walked into Jharkhand.

After staying in Jharkhand’s Chakulia area for over a week, Zeenat crossed another 15 kms and entered Jhargram recently. The tigress then crossed over to Bandwan in Purulia and then moved to Manbazar of the same district. On Saturday morning the tigress moved to Ranibandh in Bankura.

— WITH PTI

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