19 April,2026 11:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Maya tenderly caring for a spotted deer fawn, as if it were her own cub. Pic courtesy/Ravin Jadhav
"In November 2013, a curious incident took placeâ¦
Inside the grass, Maya had come upon a young spotted deer fawn. It was likely the fawn that had drawn her into the grass in the first place. Capturing such a small animal was no challenge for her - with a single leap, she had it. But she didn't kill it.
This rare photographic capture shows Maya make her very first major solo kill when she was one-and-a-half years old. Pic courtesy/Himanshu Bagde
Instead, she gently held it in her mouth, cradling it almost as if carrying her own cub, taking great care not to injure it with her teeth. Then she delicately placed the fawn in a slight clearing and to everyone's astonishment, started licking it as if she was tenderly grooming her own young! She thoroughly licked and cleaned the fawn, then began to play with it! Each time the fawn tried to run away, Maya gently pinned it down with a paw and continued the game. This playful interaction lasted a full 15 minutes.
She earned the name âMaya' in 2013, from the M-shaped marking on her shoulder. Maya was immensely popular for her ease around tourists. "At times, she would pass so close to a vehicle that one could almost reach out and touch her. Occasionally, she would pause and lock eyes directly with someone, causing hearts to skip a beat," says Sonawane. Pic/courtesy Sadaa Sayed
Some observers wondered: was this a prelude? Cats often toy with mice before killing them. Was Maya planning to do the same? But once again, Maya defied expectations. When she was done, she simply let the fawn go. The little one scampered away in search of its mother," writes Anant Sonawane.
Maya's fierce clash with Matkasur at Pandharpauni-2 in 2016-17. Months later, she gave in and mated with him. Pic courtesy/Jaya Rane
"[On the last day of May 2012], a wild boar got within striking distance, and Maya sprang up from the watering hole. A sudden burst, followed by a spray of water - and the next instant, she was on the boar's back. Realising what had happened, the animal let out a desperate squeal and tried to throw her off with a violent jolt. But Maya's grip was unshakable...
The book cover
The boar was fully grown, powerful and experienced, while Maya, barely a year-and-a-half old, was small and inexperienced. She couldn't figure out how to land a decisive bite on its throat, but she was relentless. The boar kept struggling to break free, and she tightened her hold with each attempt. It became a battle between the boar's brute strength and Maya's unyielding determination⦠After a gruelling 45 minutes, Maya emerged victorious.
This was possibly her first major solo kill. Most importantly, it marked the first step in her journey towards becoming the queen of Tadoba," writes author Anant Sonawane.
Pic from public domain
Maya and her cub, immortalised on a postage stamp. The stamp bears an iconic photo of Maya and her cub "hugging" in 2016, captured by Chandrapur photographer Amol Bais.
