My next tiger viewing was a real treat. We came across "Machli" one of RNP's most famous tigers. She was born in the park in 1997 and has had five cub litters, of which she has raised 9 tigers to adulthood (so considering that there are only 38 tigers in RNP, she has pretty much been responsible for repopulating the tiger population in the park!).
Although she is growing old now and has only 1 canine tooth left (killing crocodiles has taken a toll on her teeth!), she's still fit to fight, defend, and kill -- which was evident by the near-by dead sambar deer that she killed the night before (you can see a picture of the kill on my photo album). She has been in several documentaries including BBC's "Danger in Tiger's Paradise".
Note: Average lifespan for a wild tiger is 14 - 18 years. Males usually weigh from 400 - 500 lbs., while the average female weighs about 275 - 325 lbs. Females are 7 - 9 feet long, while males are typically 9 - 10 feet long.
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