The authorities of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district are considering removing the radio collar from a tigress after confirming that she has fully adapted and settled inside the national park, an official stated on Saturday.
Translocated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to Odisha in November 2024, tigress Zeenat previously made headlines for escaping from the Similipal National Park and roaming into the neighbouring forest areas across Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.
STR Field Director Prakash Chand Gogineni informed reporters that after her last capture in West Bengal’s Bankura district in December 2024, she was safely released back into Similipal, where she subsequently gave birth to four cubs and well-settled in now.
Gogineni noted that Zeenat has firmly established her home territory inside the reserve. “We are now contemplating removing the radio collar fitted on the big cat’s neck after monsoon,” he said.
The STR Field Director clarified that the tracking device features a remote-release mechanism, allowing wildlife officials to detach the collar without needing to tranquilize the big cat.
The official said that another tigress, Jamuna, also brought from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in October 2024, continues to wear her radio collar.
The animal’s movement is being constantly monitored, he added.
