Free Roam: Zeenat Spices Up Similipal with Genetic Diversity

A Royal Bengal Tigress named Zeenat has been released into Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha as part of a translocation effort from Maharashtra. This marks an effort to diversify the genetic pool of the reserve, which is home to 27 tigers, including several pseudo-melanistic ones.

In a pioneering move for tiger conservation, the authorities of Similipal Tiger Reserve have released a Royal Bengal Tigress named Zeenat into the wild. Originally brought from Maharashtra's Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Zeenat is the second tigress after Jamuna to grace Odisha's wilderness.

The bold translocation initiative aims to enhance the genetic diversity of Similipal's tiger population, which comprises 27 tigers. With several of its residents exhibiting pseudo-melanistic characteristics due to inbreeding, the reserve seeks to bolster its gene pool with new additions like Zeenat.

Zeenat, monitored closely by conservation teams, was first housed in a soft enclosure post-arrival on November 15. Her release marks a milestone as the first tiger supplementation exercise of its kind globally, offering a promising step forward in tiger conservation and population enrichment efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)