Collarwali
A Symbol of India's Tiger Revival
The global tiger population is experiencing a slow but steady revival, with India being a frontrunner in conservation efforts. This is a story highlighting India's conservation efforts, through the life of a legendary tigress.
On a scorching summer morning, three researchers huddled together deep in the forest of Pench, Madya Pradesh. They were observing four tiger cubs, seemingly estranged from their mother.
The cubs were 18 months old, not quite stepping into adulthood. They could grow weak and frail, without their mother to fend for them.
The researchers observed the mother and one of the cubs through radio collars. They were baffled by why the mother abandoned them. Days and nights passed. The mother wasn't looking for her cubs; she never called for them. Her cubs grew weaker; not one of them had made a kill, yet.
Then, the mystery unraveled…
The mother hadn't abandoned her cubs, she was protecting them! Collarwali had been spotted with T-30, a male tiger who'd taken over the territory after T-2, the cubs' father's death. The pieces finally fit together. She was keeping T-30 away from her vulnerable cubs, leading him far from the den where they hid. Every day she spent away was a day they stayed safe from him.
The next morning, T-39, one of her cubs, finally hunted down a wild boar. The rest of the three cubs feasted on the kill that their brother made, without any scuffle.
After 15 days of separation, the family was finally reunited! They rejoined on the banks of the Pench River, where they enjoyed a chital kill together.
Collarwali, whose official name is T-15, was a remarkably intelligent tigress who successfully raised 25 cubs in the wild, a record for wild tigers.
In the 1890s, India had around 40,000 tigers, but by 1973 their numbers had plummeted to just 1,200, sparking national concern. That same year, conservationist Kailash Sankhala helped launch Project Tiger, initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to protect tigers and their habitats through dedicated reserves. In 2005, the Tiger Task Force introduced a scientific framework for national tiger assessments, and among the first tigers to be officially tracked under this new system was also Collarwali (T-15) of Pench Tiger Reserve.
A Star Since Her Early Days
Collarwali was born in October 2005 in Pench National Park to Barimada, another legendary tigress. Barimada was featured alongside her four cubs in the BBC documentary Tiger: Spy in the Jungle. The popularity of the feature skyrocketed the number of tourists to Pench National Park.
An Extraordinary Mom
Over her lifetime, Collarwali gave birth 8 times to 29 cubs. Out of these, she successfully raised 25 of them into adulthood, which is an extraordinary feat for a tiger in the wild. This earned her the title "Supermom of Pench". Like their mother Collarwali, her cubs have greatly contributed to restoring tiger populations in regions where they were once declining. Notably, one of her cubs, T-6, played a key role in repopulating the Panna Tiger Reserve, which had experienced a drastic fall in tiger numbers.
Collarwali's success is partly owed to conservation efforts in which she had access to a rich prey base and minimal human disturbance in the protected forests.
India’s Remarkable Conservation Efforts
Over the years, Project Tiger has grown dramatically in scale and impact. What was 9 reserves in 1973 has now expanded to 53 reserves all over the country.
Year
Tigers
Tiger Reserve Area in square km
Tiger populations have risen steadily, with Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra now two of the states with the highest numbers. The remarkable success of Pench, located along the border of these two states, owes much to the legacy of Collarwali.
Among the countries that tigers range, India's success is uniquely massive. It is now home to more than 70% of the world’s wild tiger population.
The Legacy
Collarwali passed away in 2022 due to complications regarding old age. Her fruitful 16 years of life as the Supermom were honoured by the Pench National Park authorities and locals in a funeral. She lay on the pyre, adorned in flowers, while a quiet smile settled on her face. India's battle to protect its tiger population endures, but the fierce mother finally rests.
Source: © Madhya Pradesh Forest Department