A three-year-old big cat, Tigress Zeenat, that strayed from Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve, has made headlines after traveling almost 200 kilometers over two weeks while evading capture.

On Sunday morning, she crossed into Bandwan in Purulia district from Jhargram, West Bengal.

Zeenat’s journey began in Similipal Tiger Reserve, where she was introduced as part of a program to enhance the reserve’s gene pool.

After leaving Similipal, she traversed Jharkhand before entering West Bengal. Forest officials are actively monitoring her movements, with teams positioned in areas she has frequented.

Despite efforts to track her via a radio collar, her constant movement has complicated the monitoring process.

Anjan Guha, Divisional Forest Officer of Purulia, stated that the tigress has managed to avoid capture, prompting the deployment of tranquilizing teams and trap cages in an attempt to safely bring her back.

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Local villagers and tourists have been advised to remain vigilant, especially in areas where the tigress has been spotted.

Officials from both Odisha and West Bengal are collaborating to track Zeenat, who has shown no signs of aggression thus far.

As the situation develops, experts note that it is common for tigers to cover large distances in search of suitable territories with abundant prey.