RBT Zeenat chases transborder: NTCA goes slow in relocating more tigers to Odisha!

Bhubaneswar, Dec 31: As Royal Bengal Tigress duo Zeenat and Jamuna recently strayed out of Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has reportedly held back the translocation permission of two more big cats from Madhya Pradesh to Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha.

According to sources, the NTCA has withheld the decision to shift two more RBTs from MP to Odisha’s Debrigarh sanctuary in Bargarh district, until the investigation into why Zeenat and Jamuna fled from Similipal forests is complete.

The NTCA had earlier approved technical clearance for the translocation of two more big cats from MP to Odisha. However, with the fateful incident now the authorities are all set to reassessing the situation after Jamuna and Zeenat moved out of Similipal Tiger Reserve, sources added.

It can be recalled that Jamuna and Zeenat were translocated from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to Similipal. But Zeenat first strayed into Jharkhand forests and then moved into West Bengal. The big cat was tranquilized and safely caught from West Bengal and shifted to Alipore Zoo in Bengal in a cage. Forest department sources have revealed it was bit unwell after being tranquilized and once it is fully fit, it would be brought back to Similipal Tiger Reserve.

 After Zeenat moved out of the STR, Jamuna too fled into Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary in Balasore district, creating suspicion among wildlife experts if the two big cats were not very comfortable in Similipal, either due to dearth of preys or habitat issues.

After the two tigress moved out of Similipal forests, Prem Kumar Jha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests(Wildlife), Odisha had stated that his department would reassess the situation and then take a decision whether to proceed with the relocation of tigers from Madhya Pradesh to Odisha’s Debrigarh or not.

He was quoted saying earlier, “Usually male tigers have their demarcated territories. However, tigresses too have their territories which sometimes overlap. Zeenat and Jamuna had started exploration of the territories after they were released into the Similipal forests. The two tigresses were in the process of establishing new territories, leading to their migration between forests. This territorial expansion is typical behaviour for tigers.”

A few months back, the NTCA has announced that as per request of Odisha government, 15 tigers will be shifted from Maharashtra to Satkosia Tiger Reserve. But now with NTCA deciding to delay translocation of two tigers from MP to Dibrugarh Wildlife Sanctuary, relocating more RBTS to Odisha is likely to get a jolt, feared wildlife experts.

Earlier in 2018, two tigers were introduced to Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Tragically, tigress ‘Sundari’, fell victim to poaching, while the other, male big cat after struggling with health issues, was sent back to its original habitat in Madhya Pradesh.