Baripada: The Similipal Tiger Conservation Project has achieved a historic milestone with tigress Zeenat successfully establishing her territory and giving birth to cubs in the wild.
Following this success, the Forest Department has decided to remove the radio collar fitted on Zeenat, freeing her from continuous surveillance.
“We have planned to remove the radio collar by October or November this year,” said Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) Field Director Prakash Chand Gogineni.
Zeenat, the four-year-old tigress translocated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) to Similipal in November 2024, gave birth to four cubs in May 2026, marking a major conservation success for Odisha.
After translocation, both tigresses Zeenat and Jamuna have been under constant monitoring through radio collars to track their movement and adaptation to the Similipal landscape. With the primary objective of the supplementation programme achieved, officials said there is no need for regular tracking of Zeenat anymore.
The radio collar can be removed remotely without tranquilisation and the device will later be collected by field staff. Officials said direct sighting of Zeenat and her cubs has reduced substantially during the monsoon, but updates on her movement are still being received through the radio collar and VHF transmitter.
Meanwhile, tracking of tigress Jamuna will continue as she is still in the Kuldiha landscape and is yet to reproduce. Her last direct sighting was recorded a fortnight ago, STR officials said.
