Mother dead, daughter moved — the fate of two tigresses in Ranthambore National Park

The young tigress who is suspected to have mauled two people – including a forest ranger –at Rajasthan’s Ranthambore National Park was moved to Mukundara Tiger Reserve Thursday morning. This came on a day when her mother Arrowhead died of a brain tumour.

The young tigress, Kankati, was first seen with her mother Arrowhead and two siblings in Zone No. 2 at Ranthambore Tiger reserve on July 25, 2023.

Arrowhead is the daughter of the legendary ‘Machali’, arguably Ranthambore’s most photographed tigress.  Her male cub had been moved to Keladevi Sanctuary in Karauli.

Chief Conservator of Forest Suganaram confirmed the move. “The tigress will be kept in a soft enclosure of Dara in Mukundra. This enclosure is over 8,000 sq. metre, which will provide enough space for the tigress to venture and move around,” he said.

Forest officials capture Tigress Kankati. (Express photo)

Kankati is believed to be behind two attacks — the forest ranger, Devendra Chaudhary, who was killed on May 11 and a 7-year-old child at a temple in the sanctuary on April 16.

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With Kankati being moved there, Mukundara now has four tigers – one male and three females.

Meanwhile, forest officials said Arrowhead died Thursday morning. Her death came shortly after Kankati was moved.

This comes days after a video of Arrowhead showed her waiting in ambush and eventually hunting and killing a crocodile on the banks of Padmala pond near Jogi Mahal in Ranthambore’s Zone Number 3.