On World Tiger Day, remembering Collarwali, the Queen who helped India roar again
Collarwali was featured in the BBC documentary ‘Spy in the Jungle,’ which chronicles her development as a cub as part of a litter of four. In her own way, she’s a child star.
NewsBharati 29-Jul-2026 14:56:27 PM
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I still remember the day I first came across her photograph, a magnificent Bengal tiger. She wasn't merely standing in the frame; she seemed to own it. There was a quiet confidence in the way she carried herself, as though the forest had long ago acknowledged her as its undisputed queen. Her dark eyes held no trace of fear, only patience, purpose, and the calm certainty of a hunter who knew exactly where she belonged. Even through a photograph, the aura she carried was impossible to ignore.
If you are a wildlife enthusiast, chances are you would recognize her instantly.
She was far more than just another tigress. Collarwali became the face of Pench Tiger Reserve and one of the greatest contributors to its remarkable tiger revival. Her legacy was not built through dramatic encounters or legendary hunts, but through motherhood. With every litter she raised, she helped shape the future of the reserve, leaving behind a bloodline that continues to roam the forests she once ruled.
Collarwali Tigress (Image: BBC)
You might be wondering why she was called Collarwali.
Unlike most names that are simply given, hers was earned. She became the first tigress in Pench Tiger Reserve to be fitted with a radio collar as part of a scientific monitoring programme. The collar helped researchers and forest officials study her movements, behaviour, and territory. Over time, the name "Collarwali" became inseparable from her extraordinary story.
Collarwali was featured in the BBC documentary ‘Spy in the Jungle,’ which chronicles her development as a cub as part of a litter of four. In her own way, she’s a child star.
Perhaps this remarkable journey was no coincidence. Collarwali was born into one of Pench's most celebrated tiger lineages. She was the daughter of the legendary tigress Badi Mata and the iconic male tiger Charger, inheriting their strength, resilience, and commanding presence. Yet she did far more than carry forward her parents' legacy. She built one of her own a legacy so extraordinary that even years after her passing, the story of Pench cannot be told without telling the story of Collarwali.
Collarwali was the first of Badimada’s four cubs to venture out on her own and claim territory in the heart of her mother’s territory.
Her legacy is written not only in memories but also in generations. Over the course of eight litters, Collarwali gave birth to 29 cubs, of which an extraordinary 25 survived. In the wild, where cub mortality is often high because of predators, disease, and territorial conflicts, such a survival rate is exceptionally rare. Collarwali faced numerous challenges during her life, yet she overcame them with unwavering strength. Her first three cubs tragically succumbed to pneumonia in 2008, a heartbreaking loss that only fueled her determination.
In 2010, she achieved a rare feat by giving birth to a "bumper" litter of five cubs, further solidifying her status as an extraordinary tigress. Those cubs went on to establish territories of their own, playing a crucial role in transforming Pench into one of India's most successful tiger landscapes.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Collarwali played a defining role in Madhya Pradesh's tiger success story. Through her extraordinary reproductive success and the survival of her cubs, she helped strengthen the tiger population of Pench. Many of her offspring went on to establish territories across Pench and adjoining forests, contributing to the growth of the landscape's tiger population. In that sense, Collarwali became one of the key reasons why Madhya Pradesh continues to be known as the "Tiger State of India."
The Land of Mowgli lost a Queen on January 15, 2022, at the age of 16. She passed away from old age and multiple organ failure.
Today, as the world observes International Tiger Day, we celebrate the remarkable recovery of India's tiger population. But behind every statistic lies a story. Behind every rising population graph stands an animal that silently changed the course of conservation. For Pench, that story begins with Collarwali.
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This year, International Tiger Day also coincides with Guru Purnima, a day dedicated to those who guide us, teach us, and leave us wiser than before. We often think of gurus as saints, teachers, or philosophers. But sometimes, nature becomes the greatest teacher of all.
Today, I bow my head before her, not as a wildlife enthusiast alone, but as a student before a guru. She taught me that life is never free from struggle, and that when the odds seem impossible, you fight, you endure, and you rise again. Her greatest contribution was not merely the 29 cubs she brought into this world, nor the 25 that survived to carry her bloodline. Her greatest gift was hope. The hope that if we protect nature, nature will always find a way to flourish.
Shivani Shinde
Shivani Shinde has completed her graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing her Masters further. She keeps interest in writing on Science and Technology and Entertainment.