West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the Odisha government on Monday for not properly managing its tigers, which have been crossing into Bengal. This came after Bengal foresters had to tranquilise a tiger that had entered the state.
Mamata explained that a tiger, which had strayed from Odisha, crossed two states and entered West Bengal. The presence of the tiger caused panic, leading to school closures in the affected area.
Forest department workers worked around the clock for a week to capture the animal safely. Once the tiger was captured, the Odisha government repeatedly requested its return.
The tiger was handed back to Odisha on January 1. Mamata urged the Odisha government to take better care of its tigers to prevent them from entering Bengal in the future. Mamata was speaking at Sagar Island, where she had arrived to oversee preparations for the Gangasagar Mela.
The tiger, named Zeenat, had wandered from Odisha's Simlipal sanctuary last month. It travelled 200 km over 12 days through Odisha and Jharkhand before entering West Bengal. Because the tiger wore a radiocollar, foresters were able to track its movements.
Also Read: Tigress brought back to Odisha's reserve after 3 weeks
It was finally found in Bankura's Ranibandh forest and tranquilised.
Mamata also criticised how the Odisha government released the tiger. She said they let the animal go in a river and questioned what would happen if the tiger returned to Bengal.
She offered to keep the tiger in West Bengal's reserved forests if Odisha could not manage it.
Mamata also mentioned new pugmarks found near the Bengal-Jharkhand border, causing fear among local people. She called on the Odisha government to send a team to rescue the tiger.
However, forest officials in Jharkhand are unsure of the tiger's origin and have not found any evidence suggesting it has entered Bengal.
Also Read: Fresh pugmarks found near Bengal-Jharkhand after Zeenat's return
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