BHUBANESWAR : In a curious twist of events that may acquire political overtones, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has sought to know from West Bengal’s chief wildlife warden (CWW) why tigress Zeenat, tranquilised on Sunday at Bankura, was not moved to Odisha and instead housed at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata in violation of protocols.
The three year-old Zeenat was tranquilised by an expert team of Odisha and West Bengal forest departments near Gopalpur village of Bankura district at around 4 pm on Monday after 23 days of its wild exploration. However, instead of being shifted back to Similipal, the caged tigress was taken to Alipore Zoo reportedly for its health examination by the vets.
The apex tiger conservation body sought an answer as to why the standard operating procedure (SOP) was not followed in relocation of the big cat following its capture in Bankura.
The NTCA, in its letter to the head of West Bengal’s wildlife wing, on Monday stated that the tigress was brought to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra under a special initiative to improve the genetic diversity of the big cats in the landscape.
“Apprise this authority for the reason why the said tigress was shifted to Alipore Zoo, instead of translocating it back to the state of Odisha as per the SOP of the NTCA,” said the letter which was accessed by The New Indian Express.
The West Bengal CWW was also pointed out that Zeenat is to be released in the wild and in order to avoid any imprinting or human interaction in captivity, the tigress must be translocated back to STR at the earliest following due process of SOP under section 38 O (2) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
A senior forest officer from Odisha said though they have been asking their West Bengal counterparts to allow shifting of the big cat to Similipal, the latter have remained silent on the matter citing they are awaiting permission. The West Bengal CWW couldn’t be reached for his comments on the matter.
NTCA poser to WB govt on Zeenat
Earlier on Sunday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee congratulated forest officials of her state for the successful rescue of Zeenat. “This rescue is a shining example of teamwork and dedication towards wildlife conservation.
Your combined efforts have not only saved a majestic creature that strayed out of its habitat but also reinforced the importance of protecting our natural heritage. Thank you for your outstanding work!,” she had posted on social media platform X
The big cat had exited Similipal landscape on December 7 and kept forest officials of three states - Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand - on tenterhooks as it roamed the landscape for over three weeks.
Sources in Odisha wildlife wing said that Zeenat has been kept in the cage since its capture to avoid further tranquilisation. A team of forest officials led by STR field director Prakash Chand Gogineni are also in West Bengal to pursue the matter of its relocation.