New Delhi: When wildlife photographer Sachin Rai shot T-84, the iconic tigress of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve—fondly known as Arrowhead—on 17 June, she looked visibly frail. The tigress, who was once rightly titled the “Queen of Ranthambore” for her larger-than-life presence and precise hunting skills, now gasped after every few steps. As Arrowhead breathed her last Thursday, Rai remembered the “final walk of a legend” with a hint of grief and a great deal of awe.
“On the evening of 17 June, I witnessed what would be the last walk of the legendary tigress ‘Arrowhead’ at the banks of Padam Talab, a place she had ruled with grace and strength for many years,” he said.
Eleven-year-old Arrowhead was found dead two days later near Jogi Mahal after fighting bone cancer for months, senior officials from Ranthambore said. She passed away just hours after her daughter, RBT 2507, known locally as ‘Kankati’, was relocated to the Mukundra Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan’s Kota.
“Arrowhead was more than just a tigress—she was the symbol of grace, strength and motherly spirit. Her legacy will live on through her cubs and in the hearts of all wildlife lovers,” Ranthambore Tiger Reserve said in a statement announcing her death.
Arrowhead was among India’s most well-known tigers. She is the granddaughter of “Machli” (T-16)—the poster child of India’s tiger conservation efforts and once the oldest living tiger in the world, having lived till the age of 20—and the daughter of another popular big cat, Krishna.
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Early life
Born in 2014, Arrowhead was first spotted with her mother and siblings on 23 March the same year, while Krishna was relocating her cubs between zones two and four. Her father is believed to be Star Male, a dominant male tiger in the reserve.
She was named Arrowhead due to a distinct arrow-shaped mark on her left cheek.
“She lived a full life. She had cubs, some memorable hunts, and towards the end, a life-threatening illness. She did it all like a queen—the Queen of Ranthambore,” a forest official from Ranthambore said.
Final days
Every other tourist that boarded the safari jeeps to tour Ranthambore would inevitably ask to see the famous Arrowhead. Even in her final days, when she had grown so weak that her bones started sticking out of her sagging flesh, she would drag herself near safari vehicles, allowing tourists to photograph and admire her at leisure.
Her classic pose would be lying down on her side and staring right into the camera lens. On days one would catch her in action, she would walk towards onlookers like she would towards her prey, which was her way of teasing the tourists, leaving the audience guessing her next move.
“Her area of movement was around zone two, but towards her final days, her daughter Riddhi became the dominant tigress,” the official from the reserve said, adding that after being diagnosed with bone cancer, Arrowhead had limited her movement around Jogi Mahal, near zone three.
But despite her deteriorating health, the reigning “Queen of Ranthambore” showcased alpha characteristics even through her last few days.
On 16 June, just three days before her death, Arrowhead successfully took down a crocodile. She jumped into the Padam Talab, grabbed a chunk of meat from the crocodile’s neck and dragged it out. The videos of the hunt were widely circulated because of its symbolism.
Machli, her grandmother, was known as a “crocodile killer” in her time, and after her, the only two tigers to have killed a crocodile in Ranthambore are Riddhi—Arrowhead’s daughter—and then Arrowhead herself.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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