Second tigress released in Similipal as Odisha aims to boost tiger population

Bhubaneswar, Nov 15: The second tigress, ‘Zeenat,’ on Friday was released into a soft enclosure at Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district, just one day after her arrival from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra.

The three-year-old tigress made the 40-hour journey in a special vehicle, accompanied by a 10-member team from STR. She was first kept under observation for 12 hours before being placed in the soft enclosure in north Similipal, according to a forest official.

This marks the second phase of Odisha’s tiger relocation project aimed at strengthening the gene pool of the state’s tiger population. The first tigress, Jamuna, arrived on October 27 and was subsequently released into the core area of STR after undergoing conditioning in a south Similipal enclosure. Both tigresses are now equipped with radio collars.

The relocation is part of a broader effort to address inbreeding concerns in STR, where 13 of the 27 tigers are pseudo-melanistic due to genetic disorders. Additionally, the Forest Department plans to bring six more tigers from central India to further support the STR population, with a proposal soon to be submitted to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).