Trapped Sundarbans tiger to be released Sunday

KOLKATA - A tiger from the Sundarbans biosphere reserve, which strayed into a village on the outskirts and was later tranquilised, would be released back into the forest Sunday, according to a top forest department official.

The big cat has been kept under medical observation. It was roaming in the jungles with a tigress when it entered the human habitation near Luxbagan in South 24-Pargana district and was caught.

“We trapped a male tiger from Netidhopani-I forest in Sundarbans yesterday (Friday). The tiger has now been shifted to a squeeze cage,” Sundarbans field director Subrata Mukherjee told IANS Saturday.

“The forest department officials successfully tranquilised the tiger by administering ketamine and also radio-collared the animal,” he said.

It will now be released into the forests of Netidhopani-I area in the South 24 Pargana’s mangrove region.

The tigress will also be released in the core forest area, a forest official said.

Veterinary experts said both animals were fit.