After being chased by villagers and rescued atop a tree, a pregnant tigress was returned to the Sunderbans yesterday, a protected area along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, and one of the few remaining tiger habitats in India.

Atanu Raha, West Bengal's chief conservator of forest, said although the tigress received some injuries while being tranquilized and caught, she was treated and found fit to be released in the reserve area.

The tiger had to be rescued from a date palm tree where she had sought sanctuary after being chased and stoned by terrified villagers. On Sunday, she had strayed into the village at Deulbari about 150 miles south of Calcutta from the nearby Sunderbans Tiger Reserve.

It took 14 hours and a village full of people before pregnant feline was subdued. Four villagers even received minor injuries.

After her ordeal, the tigress was then transported by boat and released deep into the mangrove reserves.

Forest officials say the pregnant tigress is one of 249 tigers in the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and 279 in greater Sundarbans.