Her 'final walk' before her death was captured in a video by renowned wildlife photographer Sachin Rai. Pics/Sachin Rai
In a heartfelt note, Rai described what he saw June 17 evening. He wrote on Instagram, “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"
According to the Tigerwatchranthambhore, Arrowhead (T84) was born on March 23, 2014. She was one of four cubs of Krishna (T19) and Star Male (T28), and a direct descendant of the legendary tigress Machhli
Arrowhead (T84) was first seen in 2014 with her siblings -- Lightning, Pacman, and a fourth cub lost at birth. Over the years, she became known not just for her beauty and hunting skills, but for her incredible willpower and dedication to her cubs, Tigerwatchranthambhore stated
It said that in 2018, Arrowhead (T84) became a mother for the first time, though sadly her first litter did not survive. Later that year, she gave birth to two cubs -- Ridhi and Sidhi, fathered by T86, her longtime mate. Tragedy struck again when T86 was killed in a human-wildlife conflict
Known as the Queen of Machhli’s Domain, Arrowhead (T84) was a symbol of continuity in Ranthambhore’s tiger history
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