Arrowhead was a special tigress. She was not like most tigers. Her official name was T-84. She lived in Ranthambore National Park in the state of Rajasthan, India. Ranthambore National Park is known for its lakes, jungles, and tigers. Many tourists, photographers, and forest workers saw Arrowhead many times. People loved her for her strength, her beauty, and her extraordinary behavior.
Arrowhead died in June 2025. She was 11 years old. She died because of a long sickness. Even though she was sick, she was still strong in her last days. Her death made many people sad. Forest staff, tiger lovers, and many others felt pain when she died. This shows how much she meant to many people in India and around the world.
Arrowhead’s Family
Arrowhead came from a strong tiger family. Her mother was Krishna, who was also known as T-19. Krishna was Ranthambore National Park’s famous tigress. Arrowhead’s grandmother was even more famous. Her name was Machli, or T-16.
Machli was known all over the world. She appeared in films, nature shows, and tourism posters. Many people talked about her. She was strong and smart. For a tiger living in the wild, her life was really very long. She was able to hunt large and dangerous animals, like crocodiles. This specific hunting is unusual for tigers. Only very strong tigers can do it. Krishna also showed similar strength. Arrowhead got this same quality from her mother and grandmother.
Why Arrowhead Became Famous
Arrowhead became very famous after a special event. A wildlife photographer, Sachin Rai, took video and photos of her fighting a crocodile and then killing it. Crocodiles are very hard to kill because they have thick skin and strong jaws. But Arrowhead was able to do it.
What made this even more surprising was that she was already sick at that time. She was not in her best health. Still, she had the strength to fight and win. This event showed how strong and brave she was. The pictures and videos were posted on many websites and social media. Many people saw them.
Because of this event, people started calling her the “crocodile hunter.” This name stayed with her. It made more people interested in her life and her story. Many nature lovers and visitors started asking about her. She became one of the most well-known and discussed tigers in India.
Her Life And Difficulties
Arrowhead had a life that was full of both good and bad times. She gave birth to many cubs during her life in Ranthambore National Park. She had four groups of cubs. Some of the cubs died, which is very common in the wild. Life in the forest is not easy. There are dangers from other animals and from people too.
As she grew older, life became harder. One of the greatest difficulties was that her own daughter, Riddhi, took over her hunting territory. In a tiger’s life, land is very important. Tigers need land to hunt, rest, and raise cubs. Riddhi pushed Arrowhead out of her own land. This meant Arrowhead had to find a new place to live.
For an older tigress, this is very difficult. Other tigers may attack. Food may be hard to find. Arrowhead had to travel a lot and live in less safe areas. This made her life harder. She had to be careful all the time.
Health Problems And Help From Forest Staff
When Arrowhead became older, she got a tumour. A tumour is a type of sickness where a part of the body grows in an abnormal way. It made her weak. She could not walk well. She could not hunt like before. Slowly, her body stopped working the way it used to.
The people working in the forest of Ranthambore National Park saw that she was not well. They started putting meat out for her to eat. This is not normal. Usually, wild tigers must hunt their food. But because she was sick and weak, they tried to help her by giving her food.
However, this did not last long. Some of her grown cubs became dangerous. They attacked people in the area. This made the situation unsafe. So, the forest staff had to stop giving food. Arrowhead then had to try to live on her own again. But her body was too weak. She could not hunt or walk much.
This time in her life was very sad. People who knew her for many years felt bad when they saw her like this. A tigress that was once very strong was now very weak and slow.
Her Final Days
In her last days, Arrowhead could not move easily. Sachin Rai, the same photographer who took pictures of her with the crocodile, saw her again during her last days. He had been watching and photographing her for more than 10 years.
He said she looked very tired. She walked slowly. Sometimes she fell while walking. She clearly was nearing the end of her life.
Then something very special happened. Arrowhead returned to her old home. This area now belonged to her daughter Riddhi. Usually, tigers fight if another tiger enters their area. But Riddhi did not attack her mother. She let her stay.
Arrowhead lay down on the land that was once her home. She stayed there for some time. After a short while, she died. No one disturbed her. She died in a place that was full of her past, where she had once lived, hunted, and raised cubs.
How People Felt After Her Death
Arrowhead’s death made many people feel very sad. Forest workers, tour guides, and photographers had followed her for many years. She was an important part of their work and memories. Some people even went for Ranthambore safaris in her last days just to see her one more time.
Many people remembered her for being brave and strong. Her life showed how hard it is for tigers to live in the wild. People also learned how tigers take care of their babies and how their lives keep changing.
After she died, many people shared her photos and stories online and in wildlife groups. They remembered not only that she once killed a crocodile, but also how long and hard her life was.
Even though she has died, her story will be told for many years. People will miss her during Ranthambore safaris. Her photos will stay in books, websites, and in the hearts of those who saw her.
