Bengal forest department puts up nylon fence to stop tigress Zeenat from entering human settlements

Kolkata: The West Bengal forest department has put up a nylon fence along a one-square-kilometre area on the edge of Bandwan forest range in Purulia district, similar to the fencing used in the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, to prevent tigress Zeenat from straying into nearby human settlements.

The action comes as efforts continue to capture the tigress that wandered from Similipal Reserve Forest in Odisha two weeks ago and is currently in Purulia district, a senior forest official said on Wednesday.

The fully-grown big cat was last seen in the thorny shrubs adjacent to a hill within the Bandwan forest range, "moving a short distance in the past couple of days," chief conservator of forests S Kulandaivel told PTI.

"We have put a nylon net over a one-square-kilometre-area to prevent the tiger from entering nearby human settlements and informed local villagers about its presence at the current location for their safety," he said.

He added, "The tigress has moved a short distance in the past two days, and its movement is constantly being tracked with the help of a radio collar." "Three tranquilising teams have been placed at strategic locations, while three live baits (goats) have been placed along the possible path of the animal," he said.

However, the big cat has not yet shown any intent to touch the bait despite several attempts.

Forest squad members cannot go inside and face the wild animal for fear of attack and must continue the waiting game until it either gets caught or returns to the Similipal habitat.

The half-eaten carcass of a goat found in a nearby spot triggered panic among the villagers as the tiger continued to evade forest personnel.

The fencing was set up by personnel from Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, who have expertise in the matter, as tiger straying into human habitats from the mangrove forest is more common in villages there, Kulandaivel said.

"Teams from the Odisha forest department are also monitoring the movement of Zeenat," he added.

"Smart cameras are being installed at various points in the area to monitor her movement and behaviour," chief wildlife warden Debal Roy said.

The hilly terrain with thorny bushes has made it convenient for Zeenat to escape, with disruptions in the continuous transmission of signals from her radio collar, another forest official said.

Zeenat had crossed over to West Bengal from Jharkhand six days ago, and after roaming in Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur districts for three days, she reached Purulia. She has shown no signs of heading back to her original habitat in Similipal so far.

The tigress has covered over 100 km, roaming the forests at the tri-junction of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha, in search of new territory after leaving Similipal.

"We are trying to drive her back to Similipal through the same route, or capture her and release her there," the official said.

Zeenat and another tigress, two-and-a-half-year-old Jamuna, were brought to Similipal from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra with the goal of introducing a new gene pool to the tiger population.

While Jamuna had been brought on October 27, Zeenat arrived on November 15 and was released into the wild on November 24.