Bhubaneswar, Sept 8: The National Tiger Conservation Authority has asked the state government to keep the tiger, which had strayed into Nandankanan zoo.

The authority took the decision based on a report by the Wildlife Institute of India.

“Two experts of the institute visited the zoo in July to examine whether the tiger is fit to be released into the wild as it has been living in captivity since past one year. The authority has directed us to keep the animal in the zoo,” said principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) S.S. Srivastava.

The tiger would be kept in off-exhibit enclosure where it has been staying since it strayed into the zoo.

“We will monitor its behaviour before presenting it for public viewing,” said a forest official.

The seven-year-old tiger would be the second big cat to be made captive after straying into the zoo.

In a similar case in 1967, a Royal Bengal tiger from the Chandaka forest had entered the Nandankanan zoo for mating. It also stayed there for good.

The authority had earlier asked the state government to release the tiger into the Similipal Tiger Reserve. The institute had given an estimate of Rs 74 lakh, as directed by the authority.

A section of wildlife experts were against the release of the tiger as the wild gene would be helpful for use in future breeding.

The people living in the vicinity of the Nandankanan zoo have staged demonstrations to keep the tiger in the zoo.