BBC News
17 Jan 2022
India's "super mum" tigress was no ordinary big cat.
One of the most famous tigers in the country, Collarwali died 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.
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 due to complications caused by old age.
Collarwali was fitted with her radio collar in 2008
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 was 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.
Later, she was called Collarwali - the one with a collar - when she became the first tigress in the park to be fitted with a radio collar, which allowed her to be studied for some years.
She was also affectionately called "mataram" or "respected mother" by wildlife lovers - a name she earned over her life.
"Before Collarwali was born, tiger sightings were rare at Pench. But she soon became the most-sighted tigress here," Mr Patil said.
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".
Collarwali rarely disappointed Pench visitors, said Mohammed Rafique Sheikh, a naturalist who grew up on the doorstep of the reserve.
"She was a friendly animal who would come very close to tourist vehicles without any fear," said Mr Sheikh, who has guided hundreds of tourists through the sanctuary.
India is home to more than 70% of the world's tigers - numbers had been in decline but have now risen to 2,976, according to the most recent government estimate
Your content has been submitted
Your content has been submitted
Your content has been submitted