India mourns death of 'super mum' tigress

'Collarwali' tigress, the pride of Madhya Pradesh's Pench Tiger Reserve, died due to old age.

Collarwali tigress (about 16.5-years-old) breathed her last on January 15 at 6.15 pm in room number 589 of Beat Kumbhadev of the Karmajhiri area under Seoni, said forest department.

Collarwali was born in September 2005, gave birth to about 29 cubs and established her territory in the entire Pench border, setting a world record.

This tigress gave birth to five cubs simultaneously, a rare feat according to naturalists. A documentary film 'Tiger: Spy in the Jungle' was made on her.

On March 11, 2008, experts from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, put a radio collar to the tigress. Since then, she has been known as "Collarwali". It is most visible to tourists. She reportedly gave birth to three cubs at the age of two and a half years.

While most tigresses keep their cubs with them for more than two years, this 'super mum' tigress encouraged them to become independent earlier by leaving them in areas where there was abundant prey.

Aadhar Gupta, deputy director of Pench National Park, said, "The tigress died of age. Her contribution is immense in restoring back the ecological balance by improving the tiger population."

Dr Akhilesh Mishra, the doctor of Pench Park, said, "The tigress has died normally after completing an average age."

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also paid his last respects to Collarwalli on Twitter.

(ANI)