Sundari — Ranthambore's Beloved Tigress
Sundari (T-17) is the daughter of the celebrated tigress Krishna and one of Ranthambore's most charismatic tigers. Her story spans Ranthambore and beyond — she was relocated to Odisha's Satkosia reserve.
Sundari — designated T-17 by the Ranthambore Forest Department — is one of the most celebrated and photographed tigers of the modern era at Ranthambore National Park. Born to the legendary tigress Krishna (T-19) and fathered by Ustad (T-24), Sundari carries the genes of two of the most iconic tigers in Ranthambore's history. Her name, meaning "beautiful" in Hindi, was given to her in recognition of her particularly striking facial markings and graceful build.
Early Life and Territory
Sundari established her territory in the western zones of Ranthambore following her dispersal from her mother's range. She proved to be a remarkably successful hunter and was regularly sighted by safari visitors. Like her mother Krishna, Sundari demonstrated the bold, confident temperament around safari vehicles that has made Ranthambore's tigers so famous — allowing observers to witness natural hunting behaviour, territorial patrols, and resting from exceptionally close range.
Relocation to Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Odisha
In 2018, Sundari became the subject of national attention when she was selected by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for relocation to the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha as part of an ambitious inter-state tiger translocation programme. The Satkosia reserve had seen a catastrophic decline in its tiger population, and wildlife authorities hoped that introducing a young female from the genetically robust Ranthambore population would help revive breeding.
The translocation was conducted with considerable care and media attention, but Sundari's integration into Satkosia proved difficult. Human-wildlife conflict in the buffer zones around Satkosia led to calls from local communities for her removal. After several incidents and intense debate between conservationists and local stakeholders, Sundari was eventually shifted to an enclosure within Satkosia.
The Debate Around Translocation
Sundari's story highlights the extraordinary challenges of inter-reserve tiger conservation. The genetic value of translocating tigers from high-density reserves to depleted ones is scientifically sound, but the success of such programmes depends critically on community acceptance, habitat quality, and adequate prey base. Sundari's experience in Satkosia has become a case study in what must go right — and what can go wrong — in large carnivore translocation.
Sundari's Place in Ranthambore's Story
For the thousands of visitors who watched Sundari grow up in Ranthambore's zones, from a bold cub trailing her famous mother to a confident sub-adult commanding her own territory, she represents the living continuity of Ranthambore's great tiger lineages. Whatever her future holds, she stands as a symbol of both the promise and the complexity of saving the Bengal tiger.