Ranthambhore

Ranthambore National Park is one of the biggest and most renowned national park in Northern India. The park is located in the Sawai Madhopur district of southeasternRajasthan, which is about 130 km from Jaipur. Being considered as one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, today the Ranthambore National Park terrain is major wildlife tourist attraction spot that has pulled the attention of many wildlife photographers and lovers in this destination. - See more at: http://www.ranRanthambore National Park is one of the biggest and most renowned national park in Northern India. The park is located in the Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan, which is about 130 km from Jaipur. Being considered as one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, today the Ranthambore National Park terrain is major wildlife tourist attraction spot that has pulled the attention of many wildlife photographers and lovers in this destination.

Ranthambore National park is spread over an area of 392 sq km. along with its nearby sanctuaries like - the Mansingh Sanctuary and the Kaila Devi Sanctuary.The park is majorly famous for its tigers and is one of the best locations in India to see the majestic predators in its natural habitat. The tigers can be easily spotted even during the day time busy at their ordinary quest- hunting and taking proper care of their young ones.

Ranthambore is also counted as the famous heritage site because of the pictorial ruins that dot the wildlife park. Certainly, a visit to Ranthambore National Park is a treat for every wildlife and nature lover. The time spend on watching tigers roaming around, verdant greenery, a gamut of other species of chirpy birds and animals is priceless and worth enough to be explored at least once in a life.

Ranthambore National Park in every sense is the ideal destination for exploring the real wilderness. A trip to this amazing land is really a bountiful experience when you include some more interesting places to your Ranthambore Trip. There are some refurbishing destinations across the Ranthambore National Park that can lead you to the most investing exploration. These destinations include Agra- home to the famous Taj Mahal, Jaipur- the pink city and Bharatpur- the birds' paradise. These three destinations are simply extravagant to bring the maximum exciting surprises along with the wildlife tour. When you are on your way to these three destinations along with Ranthambore, you will meet something extraordinary and special like heritage, cultural and birding tour. So, come and enjoy a magnificent tour to Ranthambore and also visit these three destinations for a complete leisure trip that will help you to learn the culture, heritage, wildlife of India; all in a single trip

Agra : Agra has long been renowned as the city of the Taj Mahal. This has often overshadowed the fact that this royal Mughal has, in addition to the legendary Taj,

Bharatpur : An erstwhile princely, Bharatpur is also often called the "Eastern Gateway of Rajasthan. Keolodeo Ghana National Park is an important international bio

Jaipur : Jaipur was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743), is the capital ofRajasthan. It is a major attraction for the first-time visitor. Jaipur

Machali (T-16), the royal tigress is the most famed in India and is exclusively the pride of Ranthambore National Park. The glorious palaces, lakes and fort of Ranthambore are the major strong hold of Machali. It is the most photographed tigress in Ranthambore and is also being known as the "lady of the lake" since it can mostly be found along the water territory of the jungle. The tigress Machali has long been under media spotlight and has gained tremendous attentions amidst the vast ranges of animal and tiger lovers. There could be many reasons behind her fame but the one and only thing that has captivated many attentions are her muscular and majestic look and her dominance at the whole Ranthambore jungle. Films books and even life time awards are such accolades that have lifted her name to greater extent.

The most noticeable thing in Machali is in her name. It is named so since she has the fish shaped marking on the left part of her face. Her legendary fight with 14 foot long crocodile has really created a history and it was the first time since such an encounter has been recorded and filmed. Interestingly, Machali has been photographed many times and have gained a lot of popularity amidst the wildlife lovers. Many documentaries and short films have been shot for her and she had been the star of the wild tiger world. In addition to this many books have been written on her and her park; and even received a TOFT Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to conservation and the wider Rajasthan economy.

This renowned tigress was first witnessed during monsoons in 1997, probably in July and this was the time when people impressed with her majestic look and flexible movements. She gave birth to three cubs, one female and the other two male by mating with a large male tiger called "Bamboo Ram". The female one was being named "Sundari (T-17)" and the cubs were named "broken tail" and "slant ear".

By the end of December 2001 both these cubs separated from Machali. Soon after Broken Tail and Slant Ear separated from Machali, she mated again with another male tiger called "Nick Ear". Bamboo Ram had died of old age when Broken Tail and Slant Ear were still with Machali and Nick ear had taken over his territory. By April 2002, Machali had given birth to her second litter, the two cubs named Jhumru (male) and Jhumri(female). By the end of 2004 Machali mated with another male tiger known as X-male and around March 2005 she again gave birth to two cubs namely Sharmeele (which means shy in Hindi) and Bahadur (Brave).

Machali became popular due to its muscular strength and was always being noticed for saving her cubs from other animals and male tigers. It is so interesting to learn that the male tigers really got afraid of her and upon intimidating they use to run away from her and her cubs. Since her common territory was the lakes around the Ranthambore Fort and so she had great encounters with many crocodiles; the legends of which are so popular even now.

Machali, the queen of the tiger dynasty is now in her devolving stage; a painful fact to be accepted. The royal tigress that once used to conquer the whole dipso environment of Ranthambore for over a decade with her muscular hunks and impressive strength is now a toothless tiger that really needs feeding unlike the royal battle she won with 13 foot long crocodile at her enduring stage.

Certainly the elegance in her royalty still illuminates with her every movement and the grace is still clung with her every growing muscle. Perhaps this can easily be realized when she moves. Her inevitable legacy will survive forever. In fact, two of her daughters are now being shifted to Sariska Tiger Reserve when the reserve lost all its count so as to continue the dynasty of the tigers to rule in the whole jungles ofRajasthan.

Today, Machali has grown old and has lost almost all of her teeth and most of her territory as well. But still her royalty resounds at every nook andcorner of Ranthambore.

On October 2006, this grandeur of Ranthambore was first observed; the Sundari (T-17) tigress is simply like her mother, Machali. Out of all the three sisters namely "Sundari or Satara", "Athara" and "Unnis" (or 17, 18 and 19 in Hindi) who were born during the monsoon months (July to September) of 2006, Satara is the dominant litter from the very beginning. Majestically by December 2007, she started exploring her own territory while her other sisters stayed with their mother.

By the early 2008, Satra established her own perfect territory and that majestically was the base of Ranthambore Fort. Like humans, she occasionally used to visit her family despite being capable of hunting on her own. By summer 2008, Satra became totally independent but her two sisters taking another few months to separate from their mother.

Like her mother she too loves exploring territory and in the rage of such efforts she had expanded her territory to greater extent. Quite amazing but she even fought with her mother Machali to overtake her territory and finally won too. Machali had to leave her territory, the area of the lakes and eastablished her base in Lakkarda, which is her current territory.

Gradually, Satara overtook almost all the territories of Machali except Lakkarda region and some parts of Mandoop, which was overtook by her sister Unnis (19). Her other sister, Athara (18) had established her territory recently in the area of Phoot Kot.

Since then Satara is ruling the areas of the lakes for the last three years. The interesting part of this tigress is that she is not shy of vehicles coming to the reserve and makes the tourists comfortable while roaming around.

Satara is often been found to mate with other male tigers but ironically had not been able to bear any litter out of them. She always shared her territory with three different males (T12, T25 and Sitara earlier, and now Sultanpur, following T12's move to Sariska).

Satara later expanded her area into the Kachida valley during summer 2011 after the dominant female there (T5) died and has one of the largest territories among the females in Ranthambore National Park - a territory rivaled in size only by that of her sister Unnis (T-19).

Finally after much speculation Satra bore three cubs in early May 2012 and it is assumed that Dollar (T-25) is their father.