Ranthambore's fierce queen dies: The legacy of Arrowhead, the tigress who took on a crocodile in her final days

Arrowhead, the descendant of the famed tigress Machli of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, has died after a prolonged illness. The queen was battling bone cancer that left her frail, impacting her ability to prey. However, before taking her last breath, the big cat ambushed a crocodile, the epic hunt steeped in deep symbolism read more
The queen is dead. Arrowhead, the famed tigress of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, took her last breath on Thursday (June 19), leaving behind a storied legacy.
Also known as T-84, the big cat was captured taking down a crocodile just days before her death. Visuals of the kill spread widely online, standing out for their symbolism. As Ranthambore bids adieu to Arrowhead, we take a look at her legacy.
Arrowhead reigns supreme
Arrowhead was the granddaughter of Machli, or T-16, arguably the most photographed tigress in the world.
Known for her courage, Machli was the Queen of Ranthambore. She was once the oldest living tiger in the world, who passed away at the age of 20 in 2016.
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Born in 2014 to popular tigress T-19 or Krishna, Arrowhead came from an iconic tiger bloodline. Arrowhead's father was Star Male, also known as T-28, a dominant tiger in the Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
Arrowhead got her name due to a distinct arrow mark on her left cheek. Image Courtesy: fotokatha
The tigress got her name due to a distinct arrow mark on her left cheek. Arrowhead grew up in the main wilderness of the reserve, along with her siblings Lightning and Pacman.
Arrowhead reportedly established her territory in zones two, three, and four of the reserve. Zone three, the largest territory in Ranthambore, was ruled by her mother, Krishna, for five years before her daughter took over.
A well-known tigress, tourists on safari jeeps visiting Ranthambore were eager to see Arrowhead. And the big cat lapped up all the attention.
The final hunt
The Queen of Ranthambore battled bone cancer for several months. During her last days, she was just a shadow of her former self, with her bones sticking out and sagging flesh.
Arrowhead's last hunt was outstanding due to its symbolism. Her grandmother, Machli, was famous as the 'crocodile killer' at her time. Arrowhead lived up to the family legacy.
Just days back, the tigress was captured ambushing a crocodile despite her frail health. In a video that went viral, she can be seen jumping into Padam Talab near Jogi Mahal in zone three, grabbing the crocodile's neck, dragging it out and taking it to the forest.
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The clips of the epic hunt went viral, serving as a reminder of her grandmother's skills and bravery.
Days after the notable hunt, Arrowhead died on Thursday due to her prolonged illness.
'With a heavy heart, we share the heartbreaking news from Ranthambore. Tigress Arrowhead (T-84), the pride of our forest, daughter of Krishna and granddaughter of legendary Machli, has passed away,' Ranthambhore National Park's official Instagram account said in a heartfelt post.
Arrowhead's death came just a few hours after her daughter, RBT 2507, or Kankati – a 23-month-old tigress, was moved to Mukundara Tiger Reserve.
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Wildlife photographer Sachin Rai, who saw her just two evenings before the tigress' death, told Indian Express, 'It was heartbreaking to see her struggle, attempting to rise and take a few feeble steps before collapsing again. Each movement was a visible effort; even walking ten steps seemed an enormous task. Eventually, she reached a tree and lay beneath it. In that quiet moment, I knew in my heart that the end was near, just a matter of a day or two.'
He shared a video of the 'last walk' of Arrowhead near the Padam Talab.
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'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 the reserve told ThePrint.
ALSO READ: International Tiger Day: How nature tourism helped conserve the big cats in India
The notorious daughter
Kankati, the young daughter of Arrowhead, was relocated to Mukundara Tiger Reserve on Thursday morning after she killed two people.
She is believed to be behind the death of forest ranger, Devendra Chaudhary, on May 11 and a seven-year-old child at Ranthambore Fort on April 16.
The attacks raised questions about live baiting that was offered to her ailing mother. Live baiting refers to offering a live prey animal to a predator. Since her birth, Kankati and her two siblings witnessed live bait provided to Arrowhead.
According to experts, this repeated feeding to Arrowhead made Kankati and possibly her siblings lose their natural caution of humans, leading to the two fatal attacks.
'Wild tigers can be fed only as an emergency measure. If a tigress with cubs gets an injury and is unable to hunt, baiting can be tried to improve her condition but only once in two weeks and for not more than three months. You can not prolong this as tigers get familiar and fearless with humans,' veteran conservationist Valmik Thapa was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
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Live baiting to attract tigers is banned. However, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) does not prohibit but says it is 'not advisable' when dealing with old or injured tigers in the wild.
With inputs from agencies

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