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Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ecostani: Arrowhead, a tigress who lit up the forests of Ranthambore
Rarely does the death of a tiger or tigress mourned in India where animals are perceived to be enemies because of rising man-animal conflict cases. Arrowhead, the legendary Ranthambore tigress died on June 19 at an age of 11-years after suffering from bone cancer. (Instagram/sachin_rai_photography) That was not the case with Arrowhead, the legendary Ranthambore tigress, who died on June 19 at an age of 11-years. 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 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 to 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. Ranthambore forest officials then decided to feed her meat nearly every day, bringing her close to the human population in Ranthambore's zone 2. The goodwill gesture did not help her cubs though, who also fed on the meat provided by the forest department, and then started looking for easy prey. Normally, a tigress trains her cubs to hunt before releasing them in the wild. Arrowhead was not able to perform this duty, which caused her distress. As the cubs got habituated to easy prey, Kankati allegedly killed a seven-year-old boy near the temple within the tiger reserve on April 17, and clamour grew to kill them. On May 11, she was accused of killing a forest ranger in the same area. Forest officials claimed that their preliminary investigation indicated that Kankati may have killed the two. However, there was no conclusive evidence. A desperate forest department decided to relocate her cubs to safer locations and Arrowhead to a new location away from humans. Arrowhead's male cub was shifted to Karauli's Kaila Devi Sanctuary on June 16. The female cub was shifted to Bundi's Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve on June 17. On June 19, 2025, Kankati was sent to Mukundra Tiger Hills, which currently has 3 tigers. With her cubs not with her anymore, Arrowhead died in zone 2 and hours later her body was found in the shade of a tree. Three days before her death, Arrowhead killed a crocodile resting in Padam Talab (pond) in zone 2. She pounced on the prey and killed it instantly, showing her once fierce demeanour, which made her the most popular tigress in Ranthambore, like Machli. That was her last kill, according to the forest department officials. A video of her last walk recorded by wildlife photographer Sachin Rai showed a bony Arrowhead walking slowly and grinding in pain towards the crocodile. Arrowhead, like her grandmother, was known for killing crocodiles and was often spotted near water bodies, a reason for her being one of the most clicked tigresses in Ranthambore in recent times. Arrowhead dominated the territory in zone two, three and four, where once her mother and grandmother reigned and contributed significantly in turning Ranthambore into one of the most densely populated tiger reserves in the country. Ranthambore now has about 80 tigers with a healthy male and female mix and Arrowhead is responsible for about 50 of them that live in the family tree of Machli in Ranthambore. Known for her tenacity and courage, Arrowhead's death signifies the end of a magnificent era in the famed Ranthambore landscape, from where the Vindhya rises close to the Aravalli mountain range. More than that, her life and that of her grandmother Machli tells us that tourism and conservation can continue simultaneously, provided the former does not hamper the latter. A popular tigress like Arrowhead can ensure that thousands of people associated with tourism in Ranthambore continue to earn a livelihood, apart from maintaining the region's ecological balance. The contribution of the wild towards humanity's well-being is rarely appreciated. On the other hand, animals like Arrowhead are blamed when they try to protect their own space from human encroachments. Arrowhead's death should be a reminder of the importance of conserving wildlife habitats, which are being destroyed in the name of development.
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ranthambore tigress Arrowhead dies of brain tumour, her daughter relocated to Mukundra
Jaipur: Arrowhead (T-84), a tigress in Ranthambore, died of a brain tumour on Thursday, the same day her daughter Kankati (T-2507), who killed a 7-year-old in April, was relocated to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, officials from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) said. 'Arrowhead was found dead at the zone 2 of RTR only on Thursday morning hours after her daughter Kankati was set off to Mukundra Tiger Hills,' an officer said. Daughter of T-19 Krishna, Arrowhead was born with three other cubs in 2014. 'Arrowhead was sick for a long time. It was also found during her autopsy that several of her organs were damaged. It is a disheartening coincidence that she passed away on the same day when her daughter is being shifted to Mukundra,' RTR field director Anoop KR said. Arrowhead gave birth to four litters in 11 years. 'She was sighted with two cubs, her first litter, on February 22, 2018. She gave birth to her second litter on January 2, 2019 and third litter on July 23, 2021,' the official said, adding that tigress Kankati is from Arrowhead's fourth litter. Also Read: Forest officials finalise relocation of tiger cubs amid fatalities in Ranthambore Kankati, first seen on July 25, 2023 at Shivraj Aniket Zone 2 with her sister and brother, will be initially kept in a soft enclosure of Dara in Mukundara. 'The tigress has been tranquilised. The team has left with her for Kota. After a few days of monitoring, she will be released into the forest. There are currently three tigers in Mukundara --- male MT-5 and two females MT-6 and MT-7. MT-7 was shifted from Abheda,' the official said. Also Read: Tiger cub suspected of involvement in fatal attacks tranquilized near Ranthambore Kankati is suspected to be involved in two recent fatal attacks. 'The decision comes in wake of a tragic incident on May 11, when a forest ranger was fatally attacked by Kankati. She was also responsible for the death of a 7-year-old boy on April 16 in a nearby area. Preliminary investigations pointed to one of Tigress Arrowhead's approximately 20-month-old cubs to be likely involved and therefore the shifting was planned,' the officer said.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Time of India
Killer R'bore tiger captured,moved to Karauli enclosure
Jaipur: In an overnight operation, the state forest department tranquillised a male sub-adult cub (RBT-2509) of tigress T-84 (Arrowhead) and shifted it to an enclosure at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve II, Karauli, on Wednesday. The move came two days after a 70-year-old guard at the Jain temple inside Ranthambore Fort was mauled to death, marking the third human kill at the reserve in two months, and prompting NTCA to urgently clear a pending proposal to relocate all three cubs of Arrowhead, believed to be behind a series of attacks on humans. "The animal is under continuous observation by the veterinary team and forest department officials," the forest department said in a statement. Official sources said two of Arrowhead's cubs — RBT-2509 and Kankati, both allegedly involved in human fatalities — have now been confined to enclosures. Both sub-adult cubs grew up in the shadow of their ailing mother, living on live baits and never fully developing hunting skills. The third cub, a female that has not yet shown aggression towards humans, will also be relocated later. "As per the 13th technical committee's decision, the male cub will be shifted to Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve, one female cub to Ramgarh Vishdhari, and the conflict-prone female cub to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve. The forest department has been directed to initiate the action and report compliance to the Authority," NTCA had stated earlier this week. Despite these measures, experts cautioned that the long-term plan for the tigers remained unclear. "The tiger currently held in the Karauli enclosure cannot be confined there for life. If it is eventually released into the wild, there's a high likelihood it will prey on villagers, perceiving them as easy targets. On the other hand, shifting Kankati — the conflict-prone female — to Mukundra Hills is a sound decision, as no villages lie within the 82sqkm enclosure," green activist Tapeshwar Singh Bhati said. Bhati, however, cautioned that Kankati cannot remain confined to the Bhid enclosure indefinitely. "The action plan must be revised, and the two tigers confirmed to be involved in human killings should either be retained in Mukundra or shifted to a biological park," he added.
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Indian Express
Third tiger death in Ranthambore: No decision yet on panel's advice to shift three ‘raised' tigers
AS OFFICIALS in Jaipur and Delhi dithered over implementing the recommendations of the technical committee formed last month after the second human death in Ranthambhore since April, an yet-to-be-identified tiger killed a 70-year-old chowkidar of a temple inside the tiger reserve on Monday. In less than three months, the three fatal attacks on humans took place within a radius of less than 500 metres inside Ranthambhore. Following the first two fatal attacks — one on April 16 by sub-adult tigress Kankati and another on May 11 by Kankati and her unnamed male sibling — a technical committee constituted to examine the issue concluded that the three sub-adult cubs of tigress Arrowhead, on live bait support since July 2023, have become habituated to people and should be shifted from Ranthambhore. On May 14, Kankati was spotted in a millet field outside the tiger reserve where the forest staff tranquilised her. Once the tigress was placed in an enclosure in Ranthambhore's Talda, nobody was in a hurry to act on the technical committee's recommendation for her two siblings. Early Monday, Radheshyam Mali, a chowkidar of the Jain Mandir, located close to the Ganesh temple inside the Ranthambore fort, went to relieve himself outside the guard post when two other chowkidars heard him scream. Later, a team of forest staff followed the trail of blood and recovered Mali's 'partially eaten' body 30-40 metres from the spot of attack. Of the six sub-adult tigers that frequent the Jogi Mahal and Ranthambhore fort areas, three born to tigress Riddhi were reportedly spotted some distance away near Padam Talao around the time of the incident. With tigress Kankati in an enclosure, her two siblings, particularly the male that was involved in the second fatal attack with Kankati, are the prime suspects for the latest attack. While Ranthambhore field director K R Anoop declined comment, a senior official said that the authorities should not have delayed implementing the technical committee's advice to shift the three sub-adult cubs outside Ranthambhore. 'It is understandable that the decisions on where all to send the tigers and whether to keep them in enclosures in the new locations can take time. But Kankati's two siblings should have been tranquilised and placed with her in the enclosure in Ranthambhore. Instead, we continued to play with fire,' he said. On Monday, hours after the third death, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), with the Union Minister's approval, cleared the proposal to shift the three tigers from Ranthambhore. But a go-ahead from the Environment Ministry is still awaited, said Rajasthan Chief Wildlife Warden Shikha Mehra. Consider the timeline: April 16: Tigress Kankati kills 7-year-old Kartik Suman, who came to visit the Ganesh temple. May 11: Kankati and her male sibling kill Range Officer Devendra Singh. May 13: As per the NTCA's SOP, a technical committee is formed in Ranthambhore with local, state and central representatives to suggest the way forward. May 17: The committee submits its report to the state government, recommending that tigress Arrowhead's three sub-adult cubs should be shifted out of Ranthambhore. The recommendation was backed by three key observations: When contacted, NTCA member-secretary Govid Sagar Bhardwaj said 'the Authority cleared it (the recommendation) as soon as possible'. The Environment Ministry's clearance is awaited from the ADG (Forests) Ramesh Kumar Pandey, who did not respond to a request for comment. A former NTCA official cautioned against 'too much bureaucracy' when 'prompt field action' is required: 'The Wildlife Act stipulates that the Centre's nod is needed to shift tigers. When the NTCA, a central agency, issues a clearance with the minister's nod, do we need another layer of approval from the ministry?' Jay Mazoomdaar is an investigative reporter focused on offshore finance, equitable growth, natural resources management and biodiversity conservation. Over two decades, his work has been recognised by the International Press Institute, the Ramnath Goenka Foundation, the Commonwealth Press Union, the Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust, the Asian College of Journalism etc. Mazoomdaar's major investigations include the extirpation of tigers in Sariska, global offshore probes such as Panama Papers, Robert Vadra's land deals in Rajasthan, India's dubious forest cover data, Vyapam deaths in Madhya Pradesh, mega projects flouting clearance conditions, Nitin Gadkari's link to e-rickshaws, India shifting stand on ivory ban to fly in African cheetahs, the loss of indigenous cow breeds, the hydel rush in Arunachal Pradesh, land mafias inside Corbett, the JDY financial inclusion scheme, an iron ore heist in Odisha, highways expansion through the Kanha-Pench landscape etc. ... Read More
NDTV
09-06-2025
- NDTV
Tiger Kills Elderly Man In Ranthambore, Villagers Jam Gates Of Tiger Reserve
Jaipur: An elderly caretaker was carried off and killed by a tiger in Ranthambore today, leading to a manhunt inside the Ranthambore fort by forest officials. Soon after, agitated villagers jammed the entrance of the fort and shouted slogans. Radheshyam Saini, 60, was a caretaker inside the Jain temple in the 10th century fort located inside the boundaries of the Ranthambore tiger reserve, which is one of India's most popular tiger reserve. The area was closed to pilgrims due to two tiger attacks in April and May - one when a seven-year-old pilgrim, who had gone to the fort, was carried off by a tigress and another when a forest ranger was attacked by a tigress named Kankati. The tigress was then removed from the area and transquilised. There is, however, a movement of about 15 tigers in this zone. As soon as reports came in that Radheshaym Saini is missing and probably carried away by a tiger, his relatives reached the entrance to the fort and began a demonstration. "My grandfather lives in the temple inside the fort, we believe the incident happened at night but it was reported this morning, we have come to the spot. My grandfather Radheshaym used to live inside the temple for 20 years and give his services there. We just heard four-five search parties from the forest department are looking for his body," said his grandson before the body was located. The villagers are demanding accountability and action by forest department officials.
