| T-17 Sundari Ranthambhore National Park

It was a real inherit of Great Machhali- she was very popular tigress from her childhood due to her boldness! That’s why she was never shy to human being whether they are on foot or on vehicles as tourists. She comes from the family of legendary tigress Machhali who ruled the most beautiful area of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve for more than 10 years. She was one of the three sisters from Machhali’s 5th and last litter (T-17, T-18, and T-19). She was considered a queen of Ranthambhore after Her Mother.

She was born in year 2006 and was raised by her mother Machhali. She was given a perfect training to survive in wild. T-17 started claiming her dominance in lake area in very early age when she was about 18 months old in Dec 2007 while her other two sisters (T-18, and T-19) stayed with the mother, Finally by the summer of 2008, she becomes totally independent, her both sisters took another few months to separate from their mother. In a sequence, she defeated both her sisters, then mother and declared herself the ruler of Ranthambhore fort and lakes area which is the best habitat for the tiger in all over the world.

T-18 was shifted to Sariska on 25/02/2009. T-19 moved towards hilly area of high point and Lahpur. Machhli left for Lakrda, but soon she was forced to leave that area too.

T-17 was radio collared by forest department in June 23, 2008 for 3 years. During that period she had mating with several male tigers like T-25 and T-28 etc, but she could not get pregnant. But meanwhile her sister, T-19 got pregnant and gave 3 cubs. After realizing the problem with her Smt Bina kak then forest minister of Rajasthan ordered for removal of the collar in November 2011 and she mated with T-28 and T-25 in a week time and she got pregnant. Evidently she got pregnant by T-25

After 3.5 month, she delivered her first litter of 3 cubs. The first litter was first sighted on 29 June 2012 by nature guide, Ram Singh Meena in zone no. 3.

She was looking after them very well but she had a huge threat for her cubs in lake area, that was from her own sisters T-19 and her 20 months old cubs (2 male -1 female). To protect them from the imerging threat to life of cubs, she decided to leave the territory and shifted towards peripheral area and territory of T-25 a male tiger, who was the father of her cubs.

She was seen several times in Kachida, Bhadlav area several times but one day she suddenly disappeared. No one has any idea that what happened to her?

But fortunately her cubs were alive, and about to die due to hunger. Than the responsibility was taken up by forest department to look after them, feed them and keep them alive in wild.

And then a miracle happened, T-25 a male tiger who was probably their father came forward as their guardian and started taking care of them. T-25 had done this to 2 orphaned cubs of - 5, Bina-1 and Bina-2 as well as.Both they are in Sariska now.

Thus the all 3 cubs of T-17 survived and were trained to live in wild by their father. These three cubs now has become sub adults and known such as T-73 (Female cub), T-74 (male cub) and T-75 (male cub).

T-17's disappearance is still a mystery till today.......

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Comments

1. Lbsoemoma on May 19, 2021

   One of the very bold tigress in the wildlife!

2. Inderjeet Singh on Jan 6, 2018

   Friends, 2-3 years ago I.e. around 2015-16, I saw (on TV) a female tiger who was wandering nearby, caught near a village near Ranthambore. That tigress was later released in a distant area. She was found wounded just like our Sundari. Was she our tigress? I hope she was the same. If anyone has news about her, please share.

3. Elizabeth Lampron on Dec 13, 2017

   I was wondering if Sundari aka T-17 was ever seen again. Is it possible she could have survived?It seems highly unlikely she would leave her cubsI cried so hard watching Machili's life story. What an amazing creation of Gods.I pray that tigers will not go extinct, they are so precious. All the big cats are and humans should value their existence

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