Ranthambore's celebrated tigress, Arrowhead (T-84), died at the age of 11. She was one of the most majestic cats in the national park. She passed away on June 19 and prior to that, was spotted near the Padam Talab by nature photographer Sachin Rai. The video was shared on Instagram by Rai and has gone viral with more than 10.6 million views.
According to reports, Arrowhead died hours after her daughter was moved to another tiger reserve. The video, which has been doing rounds on the internet, shows the majestic cat walk. However, she looked feeble, with ribs visible and slow walk.
Rai says that he followed "Arrowhead’s journey since she was a tiny cub. From those early days to watching her grow into a powerful tigress who claimed her mother’s territory, every chapter of her life was a testament to resilience."
In a long caption, Rai described the journey of Arrowhead. He said, "The Final Walk of a Legend: Tigress Arrowhead of Ranthambhore.
"On the evening of June 17th, I witnessed what would likely 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. 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.
"I saw her daughter, ‘Riddhi’, from her second litter (she had lost her first litter when they were young), eventually displace her from that very territory—an echo of nature’s unending cycle. I watched her confront new males like T120, and raise a fourth litter (she lost her third litter too) while fending off her now-dominant daughter. She lived a full and fiercely independent life—a true tigress in every sense.
"Though we humans tried to assist her, especially during the difficult times when illness and weakness overtook her strength, helping her raise her last litter, it remains uncertain whether our interventions truly benefited the three cubs. Nature often has its own course.
"Arrow passed away today, on the 19th June at 11 years of age. But one thing is certain, Arrowhead leaves behind a legacy. She was a symbol of wild grace, of power tempered by patience, of survival against all odds. Ranthambhore will never forget her."
Several users commented on the video. One of the users wrote, "Thank you for sharing her story. This is extremely powerful and sad footage and I actually had to cry watching it and reading your caption.. Thanks for giving a voice to the voiceless. Keep up the great work." Another user commented, "What a powerful beauty."
A third user commented, "Can't stop crying, Sachin... What a tiger she was! But what a painful & heartbreaking end! May her soul rest in eternal peace..." One user wrote, "Heartbreakingly beautiful. It's overhwelming to view just these seconds of video so I can't image being a witness to her whole life and watching it come to a close. What a gift."
Disclaimer: This information has been provided by a third party. India TV does not vouch for the authenticity of the claims made.
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