Legendary tigress Machli, the oldest known tigress living in the wilderness, has died at the age of 19 at the Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary in India's western state of Rajasthan. She was unique for a white spot on her cheek that looked like a fish. Hence, wildlife photographer Colin Patrick Stafford Johnson gave her the name Machli which means fish in Hindi.
A guide at Ranthambore told Sputnik that during her lifetime, Machli birthed 11 cubs including seven females, giving her the title of the "Godmother" of the tiger reserve. Half of the tigers in the reserve belonged to Machli's lineage.
One of her most legendary stories was how she courageously fought and killed a 14-foot long deadly crocodile. She lost all her teeth in the fight and had since been keeping unwell.
After news of her death broke, people poured their grief out on social media.
#Machhali gave visitors stories to remember--her bloodline reigns supreme in valleys & glades of the park.
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) August 18, 2016
Machli was not only the oldest tigress in the world, but also the mightiest. It was the pride of the jungle, burning bright #ranthambore
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) August 18, 2016
Machli was so famous that the government issued a special postage stamp with her picture. She also had innumerable documentaries made on her and a number of Facebook pages dedicated to her.
