Zeenat now in Similipal core, showing signs of pregnancy
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior wildlife official of the Forest department informed that the Tadoba tigress mated with T-12, a dominant male in the core of Similipal South Division during mid-May and is now showing signs of pregnancy.
'The tigress has now stopped mating and has isolated herself from males, indicating that she is pregnant. Considering her mating in May third week and the typical gestation period of 105 to 120 days for big cats, we anticipate the tigress to give birth towards the end of August or early in September,' the wildlife official said adding, this is a very positive development as it indicates that the tigress has started marking her territory in the Similipal landscape.
The senior officer further said once the big cat gives birth to the cubs, her chances of leaving the territory, at least for the next two to three years is negligible. He revealed Zeenat had been released back to the Similipal landscape two-and-a-half-months back. However, the release wasn't made public considering the headlines Similipal grabbed following the big cat's escape from the tiger reserve in December last year. 'We released the tigress towards April 16-17 and have been tracking her movement regularly through the radio collar since then,' he said.
The three-year-old tigress brought from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) of Maharashtra, as part of the big cat supplementation project in Similipal, kept forest officials of three states - Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal - on their toes for 23 days following its exit from STR north on December 7. It was recaptured in Bankura district of West Bengal and brought back to Similipal after a health check-up at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, early morning on January 1 this year.
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Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
Similipal tigress Zeenat pregnant, claims forest official
Bhubaneswar: Tigress Zeenat, which escaped from Similipal National Park and roamed across Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand, is now suspected to be pregnant, a senior forest department official said. Captured in Bankura district of West Bengal after a dramatic 23-day journey through three States, Zeenat was brought back to Similipal and kept in a soft enclosure from January 1, where she was observed for several weeks. 'She was found fit and healthy during her stay in the enclosure. On April 17, Zeenat was released into the wild,' the official said. 'Zeenat, even during her stay in a large enclosure, showed signs of estrus towards a wild male tiger (T12). Taking this opportunity, the tigress was released from the enclosure. Mating with T12 was recorded on thermal cameras installed at Jamuna meadow in the second week of May,' the official said. Since her release, Zeenat has been moving inside the core area of STR and hunting natural prey such as cheetal, sambar and wild boar. 'The tigress is being monitored 24 hours by tracking teams. Each team consists of 4 persons. It is also being monitored using satellite-based GPS,' he said. 'She has stopped mating and has isolated herself — both strong indicators of pregnancy. Given that the gestation period in tigers ranges from 105 to 120 days, we expect Zeenat to give birth by August or early September,' the official said. Zeenat was brought to Similipal from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra as part of tiger supplementation project. She escaped from STR on December 7 and roamed around three States before being captured in West Bengal's Bankura after 23 days. According to a research by Uma Ramakrishnan of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, in 2021, the population of tigers inside Similipal is genetically isolated and inbreeding is taking place within the reserve. To counter this trend, it was proposed to translocate tigers from the central Indian landscape to STR, the official added. Although the tiger population in Similipal has been increasing at about 18 per cent annually since 2014, nearly 50 per cent of them display pseudo-melanistic coat colour, indicating high inbreeding, he said.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Zeenat now in Similipal core, showing signs of pregnancy
BHUBANESWAR: Recaptured after escaping the Similipal landscape in December last year, tigress Zeenat has started settling down in the tiger reserve and is expected to give birth within the next two months. Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior wildlife official of the Forest department informed that the Tadoba tigress mated with T-12, a dominant male in the core of Similipal South Division during mid-May and is now showing signs of pregnancy. 'The tigress has now stopped mating and has isolated herself from males, indicating that she is pregnant. Considering her mating in May third week and the typical gestation period of 105 to 120 days for big cats, we anticipate the tigress to give birth towards the end of August or early in September,' the wildlife official said adding, this is a very positive development as it indicates that the tigress has started marking her territory in the Similipal landscape. The senior officer further said once the big cat gives birth to the cubs, her chances of leaving the territory, at least for the next two to three years is negligible. He revealed Zeenat had been released back to the Similipal landscape two-and-a-half-months back. However, the release wasn't made public considering the headlines Similipal grabbed following the big cat's escape from the tiger reserve in December last year. 'We released the tigress towards April 16-17 and have been tracking her movement regularly through the radio collar since then,' he said. The three-year-old tigress brought from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) of Maharashtra, as part of the big cat supplementation project in Similipal, kept forest officials of three states - Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal - on their toes for 23 days following its exit from STR north on December 7. It was recaptured in Bankura district of West Bengal and brought back to Similipal after a health check-up at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, early morning on January 1 this year.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Zeenat released into the wild in April, has found a partner: Wildlife dept
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: Tigress Zeenat is free and loving it. Zeenat, who was translocated from Maharashtra and was forced to stay in an enclosure for nearly four months following its dispersal in Nov, had been released into the wild in April and is showing tale-tell signs of having mated with male tiger T12, wildlife authorities said. The development has come as a huge boost to Similipal Tiger Reserve given that Zeenat was brought from Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve with an objective to infuse new genetic variation in tiger population for future sustenance. Similipal is known for its melanistic tigers. Zeenat, who is around 3.5 years old, had been released into the wild from the large enclosure in third week of April. Wildlife wing, however, kept the information secret to save it from poachers. "It mated with T12 several times in May. Tiger gestational period is 105 days. Going by this, it should deliver in August," a senior wildlife officer said. After it was brought from Maharashtra, Zeenat was released at Similipal's Chahala, a core area in the reserve's northern part, on Nov 14. Three days later it dispersed, crossing Bangiriposhi Ghat in an overnight journey en route to Badampahar-Dhobadhobin elephant corridor, eventually reaching Chaibasa in Jharkhand. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Don't Bother With An Expensive Will (Do This Instead) Local Will Finder Undo From there, it arrived at Rajabasa, under the Chakulia range, and then moved into West Bengal. It was captured in a joint operation by the forest departments of West Bengal and Odisha. "We have kept a watchful eye on the movement of the tigress through direct monitoring, camera traps and other methods. We are hopeful that Similipal will change its history and repopulate itself with a new big cat gene," a top wildlife officer said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
