The Famous Tigers of Ranthambore

Most national parks have tigers. Ranthambore has tigers with names, family trees and fan clubs. Its open forest, lakes and ruins made individual animals unusually easy to watch and photograph over many years, and a handful of them became famous far beyond India — none more than a tigress called Machli.

The forest department identifies every tiger by a code: T for tiger and a number, such as T-16 or T-124. Guides and photographers add nicknames, usually from a marking, a habit or a story. Both are used interchangeably, so the same animal can be "T-39" in a forest report and "Noor" in a jeep. Recent counts put the population in and around the reserve at about 70 (estimates vary from year to year) tigers.

Machli (T-16) — the queen of Ranthambore

Machli's line: Krishna, Arrowhead and Riddhi

Ranthambore's best-known family is four generations of tigresses who held much the same stretch of lakes, one after another:

Arrowhead (T-84)

Riddhi (T-124) — the current queen of the lakes

Riddhi was born in January 2019 to Arrowhead. As she grew up she pushed into, and eventually took over, the historic core of the park around Padam Talao, Malik Talao and Rajbagh — the same lakes Machli once held. For many visitors today, Riddhi is the tiger they hope to see: bold, often active in daylight, and ruling some of the most scenic ground in India.

Ustad (T-24)

Ustad was one of the largest and most imposing males Ranthambore has known, and one of its most controversial. After a series of incidents in which people were killed, he was moved on 16 May 2015 to Sajjangarh Biological Park near Udaipur. He lived out his life there and died on 28 December 2022, aged 17, of bone cancer. He is remembered both as a magnificent tiger and as a reminder of how close people and tigers live around the reserve.

Noor (T-39)

Noor is one of the longest-lived tigresses in the reserve's recent history, reported to be around 18 — a great age for a wild tiger that has survived without human support. She has raised several litters and is often reported in zones 6 and 1. Tigresses of her age are rarely seen for long, which is part of why sightings of her are treasured.

How many tigers live in Ranthambore now?

About 70, counting adult males, females and cubs across the core and buffer areas. Forest-department estimates vary from year to year, so treat any single number as approximate. The number has grown enough that young tigers now regularly disperse beyond the reserve, and some have been moved to other parks in Rajasthan to start or strengthen populations there. It also means territories are crowded and constantly shifting — a zone that belonged to one tiger last season may belong to another this year.

Can you see a famous tiger on safari?

Sometimes — but no one can promise it, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Tigers move, territories change, and zones are allocated by the forest department, not by operators. What genuinely improves your chances is more drives across different zones: two nights and three or four safaris will beat a single drive planned around one animal. The core zones around the lakes, where Riddhi's family has lived for generations, open on 1 October.

Not sure which vehicle to book? A gypsy (jeep) is quieter and better for photographs; a canter is cheaper and easier to get at short notice — see jeep vs canter, zones and prices. When to go is in the month-by-month guide, and the fort that overlooks the lakes, where tigers are sometimes seen from the ramparts, is covered in our Ranthambore Fort guide.

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