RANTHAMBORE Machli (T-16)
Machli (T-16) is the reason many people know Ranthambore’s name: the tigress who held the lakes below the fort for most of her life, fought a mugger crocodile, raised eleven cubs and became widely called the most photographed wild tiger in the world. She died on 18 August 2016, aged about 19.
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In one line: Machli (T-16) is the reason many people know Ranthambore’s name: the tigress who held the lakes below the fort for most of her life, fought a mugger crocodile, raised eleven cubs and became widely called the most photographed wild tiger in the world. She died on 18 August 2016, aged about 19.
| T-number | T-16 |
| Sex | Tigress |
| Born | c. 1997 (monsoon) |
| Died | 18 August 2016, aged about 19 |
| Parents | Her mother, also called Machli, held the lakes before her |
| Cubs | Five litters between 1999 and 2006, eleven cubs; daughters include Krishna (T-19). Two daughters were moved to Sariska Tiger Reserve from 2008. |
| Historical range | The lakes below Ranthambore Fort: Padam Talao, Rajbagh and Malik Talao, which today lie on the routes of zones 3 and 4 |
| Status | Died 2016 |
Identification and T-number follow the Rajasthan Forest Department’s numbering as reported by guides and the press. “Historical range” is where this tiger has been documented, not where any tiger is today. Content checked 4 November 2026.
Machli’s life, with sources
- c. 1997 Born in the monsoon of 1997 in the lake territory; named, like her mother, for a fish-shaped marking on the side of her face. [Wikipedia]
- 1999–2006 Raised five litters, eleven cubs in all. Her daughters and granddaughters went on to hold the lake country for two decades. [Wikipedia]
- 2003 Filmed killing a large mugger crocodile at one of the lakes, by the most widely cited account; some retellings date it to 2008 or 2009. The fight earned her the name Crocodile Killer. [Wikipedia]
- 2008 Two of her daughters were moved to Sariska Tiger Reserve to help re-establish tigers there after poaching had wiped them out. [Wikipedia (Sariska)]
- 2010s In old age she lost her canine teeth and the sight in one eye and could no longer hold a territory; the Forest Department fed her with bait. [The Quint, Aug 2016]
- 18 Aug 2016 Died of old age, aged about 19, well beyond the usual lifespan of a wild tiger, and was cremated with Hindu rites in a public ceremony. [PTI, 18 Aug 2016]
Each entry names its source; the full list is at the foot of the page. Where accounts differ (dates of the crocodile fight, the cause of an illness) we say so rather than pick one.
Where visitors looked for Machli
Historically: zone 3, zone 4. The lakes below Ranthambore Fort: Padam Talao, Rajbagh and Malik Talao, which today lie on the routes of zones 3 and 4. No zone guarantees a sighting and we do not publish where any tiger is on a given day; before your date we tell you what our drivers have seen that week.
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Check my date on WhatsAppFamily and related tigers
Krishna (T-19) · Arrowhead (T-84) · Riddhi (T-124) · Ustad (T-24) · Noor (T-39)
Questions about Machli
Why is Machli famous?
For her long rule over the most visited ground in the park, the crocodile fight, her many cubs and the sheer number of photographs taken of her: she is widely described as the most photographed wild tiger in the world.
Which zone was Machli’s territory?
The lakes below Ranthambore Fort. Padam Talao, Rajbagh and Jogi Mahal are on the zone 3 route today; Malik Talao and Lakarda on zone 4. Zones are allotted by the Forest Department; zones 2, 3 and 4 can be named at booking.
Is Machli’s family still in Ranthambore?
Yes. Her daughter Krishna (T-19) took over the lakes; Krishna’s daughter Arrowhead (T-84) held them until her death in June 2025; Arrowhead’s daughter Riddhi (T-124) has held the lake country in recent seasons.
Dated sightings archive
Verified entries for Machli from our sightings archive: dated, zone-level, sourced. Not a live position.
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Sources and how we know
Tiger names, T-numbers and family lines follow the Forest Department’s identification as reported by the park’s guides and in the press. Where we describe where a tiger has been seen, it is our drivers’ and guides’ experience from recent seasons, not a statement of where that tiger is today: territories shift every season and no zone can promise a sighting.
- Press “Most photographed tigress Machli dies at Ranthambore”, PTI via Business Standard, 18 Aug 2016
- Press “World’s Oldest Tigress Machali Passes Away in Ranthambore”, The Quint, Aug 2016
- Background Machali (tigress): Wikipedia (background)
- Background Sariska Tiger Reserve, where Ranthambore tigers were moved from 2008: Wikipedia (background)
- Official Rajasthan Forest Department
- Official National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Government of India
- Research Status of Tigers in India 2022: summary report (NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India)
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