Bhubaneswar: Similipal Tiger Reserve authorities have revealed that tigress Zeenat has stayed confined to just 20 sq km area in the reserve’s vast 2,750 sq km, since giving birth to four cubs.Its radio collar is still functional and able to transmit signals through which wildlife officials track its movement. Although camera trap grab has not been available since monsoon peaked, yet tracking its movement has been possible.“For a young adult tigress, 20 sq km movement in a span of more than two months is quite less. It can be attributed to the fact that it’s now the custodian of her offsprings and is cautious about its movement, evident from the limited area covered. Had Zeenat been her usual self, her movement would have far exceeded the current span,” said Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni.Since Zeenat’s camera trap picture walking with her four cubs was made available, no further camera capture is available with the wildlife wing, suggesting poor working of cameras in rain, wildlife officials said.Tigress Zeenat, once a resident of the southern core, has moved into the northern region after birth of the cubs. This relocation is being hailed as a promising development, as the north has historically been less populated by big cats despite being a designated core area with abundant meadows and prey.“Zeenat and her cubs have almost stabilised in the northern stretches. Monsoon rain has thickened vegetation, making sightings rare and camera trap captures difficult,” Gogineni said.Ecologically, the place where Zeenat and the cubs are spending times, is uniquely diverse. It hosts northern tropical mixed deciduous forests, semi-evergreen patches, high-level sal forests, dry deciduous sal, grasslands, and savannahs. This mosaic of habitats offers ample prey and shelter, making it well-suited for tiger habitation.Wildlife officials said upon attaining 20 weeks or five months of age, the cubs would be able to eat small pieces of meat and learn hunting skills after a year only.
