The Iconic Ranthambore’s Tigress Arrowhead recently passed away at the age of 14 in June 2025 due to multiple factors. It included Arrowhead’s separation from her daughter (RBT 2507), who was relocated to another tiger reserve in Mukundra, her long battle with bone cancer, and a fierce face-off with a crocodile a few days before her death. Visit Our YouTube Channel for More Tiger Stories.
Arrowhead was an iconic tigress of Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, and her death will be mourned by the Indian Wildlife community for a long time. She definitely left a void that is difficult to fill.
(Source: NDTV) |
Ranthambore National Park Website)
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Ranthambore’s Tigress Arrowhead Left Behind a Memorable Legacy
Arrowhead was the granddaughter of the Tigress Machhli and Male Tiger Krishna. She went by the code T-84. She was famous in the entire Ranthambore National Park because people considered her the symbol of grace, strength, and motherly spirit. Arrowhead was part of a very renowned tiger bloodline, but due to severe bone cancer, she was put under observation for many weeks.
Just before she died, a few days ago, she was involved in a fierce battle with a crocodile near the Padam Talab. People often used to call her and even her grandmother the Crocodile Killer. The incident happened in Zone 3 near Jogimahal, where she was involved in a fierce one-minute battle with the crocodile and eventually ended up killing it.
Her name Arrowhead came from the presence of distinct arrow-shaped stripes on her body. Right from Childhood, she was very fierce, courageous, dominating, and always a protector of her cubs. She was fearless and always went head-on into the face of any dangerous situation. She also used to hunt a lot of crocodiles, and her strength and her unique hunting skills distinguished her from other tigers. Moreover, she dominated many zones of the Ranthambore National Park.
Arrowhead was one of the Most Photographed Tigresses in Ranthambore
As she quickly rose to prominence in the region of Ranthambore because of her dominance over many zones and multiple lake area territories, wildlife enthusiasts started spotting her frequently. This made her one of the most photographed tigers in this region because people would come to the wildlife park to spot her on their jungle safaris. She became the favourite tigress of many wildlife photographers and enthusiasts as her frequent visibility and appearances outranked every other tiger in the region.
Over a period of time, she gave birth to many litters and raised her cubs with care and ferociousness. She was very protective of her cubs in their early days, and many wildlife photographers captured unique moments of her in photographs and videos.
The Last Days of Arrowhead Tigress Saw Her Declining in Health
As she approached her last days, her health started to decline significantly. That would be early 2025. She started growing weak due to bone cancer and a tumour. Arrowhead took her last walk in the final days before her demise.
Image Courtesy: www.ranthamborenationalpark.com
The above photograph is by a nature photographer, and it brings up a lot of emotions. Her slow yet graceful walk is a heartbreaking visual to look at for any wildlife lover. It’s literally the end of an era and reminds us how fragile life is.
Arrowhead was indeed an Indian Wildlife Conservation Ambassador. Her life and legacy brought many people to the Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary. She was an inspiration for a lot of wildlife stories and documentaries, along with social media trends. Not only that, many school projects also included her reference in their wildlife conservation sections.
She was one of the front faces of endangered Indian Wildlife Species and a reminder of tiger conservation. Tiger Population is declining, and that’s a very big issue.
We will Always Remember Arrowhead in Our Hearts
Forest officials finally put her to rest after her last rites. This brought an end to one of the most memorable chapters in Ranthambore’s Wildlife history. Everyone will always remember her strength, courage, and beauty. She has left a bigger impact on all of us, and may she rest in peace.
