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| Conservationist Vivek Menon calls her the "face of Pench", crediting her unusual "temperament that allowed so many visitors and photographers to document her and her cubs". (Photo by=VARUN THAKKAR) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] One of India’s most famous tigers, Collarwali died during the weekend aged 16. She played a big role in changing the fortunes of the sanctuary where she lived, Pench Tiger Reserve in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, BBC said.
So named because of the radio collar she wore, she gave birth to 29 cubs in eight litters over her lifetime, a "prolific" legacy, according to one expert. She became one of India's best-known tigers after starring in the BBC Wildlife documentary, Spy in the Jungle, which tracked the lives of four tiger cubs over two years. The documentary sparked a surge in visitors to the park, many of whom would ask after Collarwali and her charismatic mother, said Prabir Patil, a naturalist whose association with Pench began in 2004. Collarwali died on Saturday evening due to complications caused by old age.
Naturalists, forest officers and wildlife photographers speak fondly of an animal they had watched grow up in the reserve, the same forests that are believed to have inspired Rudyard Kipling's classic, The Jungle Book. She's born in 2005 as T-15 - her mother, known as "badi mata" or "big mother" was also a famous tigress. Her father's name was T-1. India is home to more than 70% of the world's tigers; numbers have been in decline but have now risen to 2,976, according to the most recent government estimate.
