Arrowhead, a tigress who lit up forests of Ranthambore

Rarely does the death of a tiger or tigress mourned in India where animals are perceived to be enemies because of the rising cases of man-animal conflict.

- Chetan Chauhan

NEW DELHI:

That was not the case with Arrowhead, the legendary Ranthambore tigress, who died on June 19 at an age of 11. She died after suffering from bone cancer and died hours after her cub, Kankati, was translocated to the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve. Her death was widely covered in the media.

Born in February 2014 to Krishna, daughter of the iconic tigress, Machli, Arrowhead (T-84) gave birth to four litters through the years. Her two siblings, Lightning and Pacman, were also popular in Ranthambore but it was Arrowhead, who inherited the fame of her grandmother Machli, the most photographed tigress in the world. She got her name because of the arrow-like mark on her forehead, her sharp attack on the prey and calmness in her walk. The mark on her forehead helped tourists identify her easily.

Her last litter, born in January 2025, became a reason for her emotional distress, experts said. Arrowhead with her three cubs was sighted for the first time on July 25, 2023 in zone 2 of Ranthambore. She appeared ill, and her illness hampered her hunting capabilities. Forest rangers and guards feared that she and her cubs could starve.