Baripada: Over a week after being released to a soft enclosure at Similipal forest following relocation from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra, tigress 'Zeenat' was released into the core area in North division on Sunday. 

The tigress moved out at night at around 9.30 pm after gates were opened in the evening. Forest authorities informed that it is currently resting in the forest and three teams of Similipal North Division are engaged in 24-hour monitoring. 

On November 15, 'Zeenat' had been released into the soft enclosure after it was translocated from Tadoba. "Happy to inform that the second tigress-Zeenat-brought from TATR in an arduous journey of forty hrs to boost our gene pool has been released to the soft enclosure at 9.30 AM today. Kudos to the entire team," PCCF (Wildlife) & CWLW, Odisha, Susanta Nanda, had posted on his X handle.

Currently, both tigers Jamuna and Zeenat are moving freely in Similipal. 

The 3-year-old Zeenat is the second tigress after Jamuna, who was brought to Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha under the translocation programme to increase the population of tiger in the state. 

On October 28, a special team of Odisha Forest department had brought 2-and-a-half-year-old tigress Jamuna to Similipal from TATR. She was released into core area of Similipal a few days ago after she spent in an enclosure. Odisha Government has also planned to bring three more tigers, one male and two females, from Madhya Pradesh to Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Sambalpur district.