Bandhavgarh February/March 2011 The last walk of the Siddhababa/Chorbera tigress

I arrived at Bandhavgarh on the 27 February for a two week stay. During my time spent at the reserve, I enjoyed some excellent tiger sightings including a distant view of B2 (Sundar) as he walked the hills and through the dense forest on his way to visit the 'Mirchani' tiger family (a tigress-together with her three sub-adult cubs that he had sired).  In the early morning of the 2 March, I saw the Siddhababa tigress as she patrolled her home range and was pleased to note that the disability she had sustained to her offside hind leg some 18 months ago appeared to be improving as she silently vanished out of view.  During that afternoon, while my vehicle was stationery at Aama Nallah, I heard the frightening sound of tigers fighting.  Three days later the Siddhababa tigress's remains were discovered, partially eaten by the challenging tigress, who now occupies the area of the park around the Chakradhara meadow.  It is very rare indeed for a tigress to kill another female -it is even more unusual  for the dead tigress to be partially devourerd by the other.  I will always remember the nine year old Siddhababa tigress, whose life I have been following for many years, especially during the time that she successfully raised cubs from two litters.  The two cubs from her last litter, born in August 2009, are male and female.  We must hope that the female will eventually take over her mother's home range.  Photographs from my visit to Bandhavgarh can be viewed by following this 'LINK' to the Picture Gallery section of 'tigersintheforest'.