A tiger who is believed to hold the world record for giving birth to 29 cubs in 11 years has died at the age of 17.
Collarwalli, who lived in the Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India, died on Saturday (15 January).
The “super mum” was famous for giving birth to eight litters and played a significant role in enhancing the tiger population.
The popular tiger was born in September 2005 and produced her first litter three years later.
Collarwali’s final litter came in December 2018, when she delivered four cubs.
Of the 29 cubs she gave birth to over the years, 25 survived – helping to boost the reserve’s population greatly.
While the average lifespan of a tiger is between 12-13 years, Collarwalli was considered old at 17, and the field director for the reserve, Alok Mishra, believes her death was caused by multi-organ failure due to old age.
He described the tiger as looking very weak when she was last seen on 14 January drinking water from the Bhura Dev stream.
She died shortly after and was laid to rest in a ceremony, where the tigress was carried through the park, covered in flowers and cremated by local tribal leader Shanta Bai.
Her internal organs had previously been removed and sent for testing to determine the cause of death.
A caretaker at the reserve said: “She had been everyone’s favourite for giving everything over the last one decade. The amazing bond we had with her.”
Dr Aniruddha Majumdar, a scientist with the State Forest Research Institute (SFRI), had followers the tigress for nearly eight years to study breeding.
He added: “It is a rare episode in which a tigress gives birth to as many as five cubs at one go.”
Footage of the famous tiger in her prime shows her wandering around the park and enjoying a drink from a stream.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tribute to the renowned tigress: “Tribute to the ‘Super Tigress Mom’ Collarwali of @PenchMP, the pride of Madhya Pradesh and mother to 29 cubs, who played an important role in achieving the Tiger State status for MP.
“The forests of Madhya Pradesh will always resonate with the roar of the cubs of the ‘Queen’ of Pench Tiger Reserve.”
India is currently home to roughly 75% of the world’s tigers.
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