Zeenat, the tigress, was finally caught in Bengal's Bankura after a long chase.

The elusive tigress, Zeenat, had caused quite a stir among wildlife officials as she strayed from her home in Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve to Bankura in West Bengal. After a week of keeping everyone on their toes, she was finally captured on a Sunday afternoon, thanks to a well-executed plan by chief wildlife warden Debal Roy and his team.

According to Roy, the tigress was sedated using a single dart shot at 4:09 pm after previous attempts had failed. Her condition would be closely monitored before deciding where she would be temporarily housed. "We had tried to tranquilize Zeenat earlier this morning, but unfortunately, our efforts were in vain. However, after consulting with veterinarians, we were able to resume the operation in the afternoon," he explained.

Zeenat had been roaming around the Gopalpur forest in Bankura district since Saturday night, where she was kept under surveillance with double netting. "We first tried to tranquilize her at 1:20 am, but despite multiple doses, she remained awake. As a precaution, we had to pause the operation at 4:30 am due to the maximum limit of tranquillizer doses. After she had rested and calmed down, we were able to successfully sedate her in the afternoon," Roy shared.

The tigress had initially been relocated from Maharashtra's Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to Similipal last month to introduce new genes to the tiger population. However, she had managed to escape and embark on a journey through the forests of Manbazar and Bandwan before crossing into West Bengal, covering over 120 km across the borders of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha.

Despite the team's best efforts, Zeenat had managed to avoid the trap-door cages set up with baits, opting instead to prey on domestic goats that wandered into the forest. Even the use of drones for surveillance had proved to be challenging due to the dense forests. However, in recent days, her movements had become shorter, indicating that she may be settling into her new surroundings.

All in all, it was a successful operation that had come to an end, and Zeenat would now be under the care and monitoring of the wildlife officials until a permanent solution is decided upon. The entire ordeal had been a test of patience and perseverance, but the team had finally achieved their goal and ensured the safety of both the tigress and the locals. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of coexisting with wildlife and the need to protect and preserve their natural habitats.

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