Fateh T-42 Ranthambore

Fateh (T-42), the Male of the Outer Zones

Fateh (T-42) is a large male associated with the zone 10 and Aantri side of Ranthambore, the outer part of the tourism area and the buffer beyond it. He is named for Fateh Singh Rathore, the field director who did more than anyone to make Ranthambore a tiger reserve. His current range and status should be checked against recent sighting reports.

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T-number: T-42
Sex: Male
Associated zones: Zone 10, Aantri side, and buffer areas
Status: Reported alive; check recent reports

Identity and Markings

Fateh is a heavy, broad-headed male, one of the bigger tigers guides describe in the outer zones. He is identified by stripe patterns on the face and by his size rather than by a single mark. The name is a tribute to Fateh Singh Rathore, the forest officer who ran Ranthambore through the years of Project Tiger and whose work made the lakes and the fort area the tiger country they are today. Naming a strong male after him was a deliberate choice by the guides who work the zone 10 side.

Life Story

Fateh established himself in the outer eastern part of the tourism area during the 2010s, in the zone 10 stretch around Aantri, Kushalipura and Halonda, and in the buffer beyond. Males in Ranthambore's outer zones tend to have larger ranges and are seen less regularly than the lakes tigers, so his record is patchier. He has been reported in recent seasons. Dominant males are eventually displaced by younger ones, and we do not know with confidence where he stands in that cycle now.

Territory and Zones

Zone 10 is the outermost tourism zone on that side of the park, with a different character from the core: drier, more open, with fewer vehicles and a longer drive from the gate. Fateh's range is reported to extend into buffer areas that are not part of the tourism routes at all. Zone 10 is also the zone whose boundaries and routes have been adjusted most in recent years by forest department notifications, so any description of his ground should be read as approximate.

Lineage

Fateh's parentage is not well documented in the popular record, and paternity of wild cubs is rarely confirmed, so we do not attach specific tigers to him as offspring. It is reasonable to assume that a long-resident dominant male has sired litters on his side of the park, and guides on the zone 10 side will have their own views on which young tigers are his. Treat those as informed opinion. For the tigresses of that side and their cubs, recent sighting reports are the only reliable source.

Famous Moments

Fateh is not famous for a single event. He is well known among guides and photographers who work the outer zones precisely because he is a big, confident male in a part of the park where most visitors do not expect to see a tiger at all. Photographs of him on the open ground of zone 10, with nothing but scrub and sky behind, look very different from the lake-and-fort images the park is known for, and that has given him a following among people who prefer the quieter zones.

Planning a Safari With Fateh in Mind

Ask us to request zone 10; allocation is by the forest department permit system and cannot be promised. Zone 10 is a longer drive from Sawai Madhopur and has a different gate, so factor in the extra travel time, especially for morning slots. It is usually easier to obtain than zones 1 to 5 and is much less crowded, which some visitors prefer regardless of the tiger. If Fateh or the zone 10 tigresses have been reported recently, an afternoon drive in the cooler months can be productive.

Why Sightings Are Never Guaranteed

The outer zones have fewer tigers per square kilometre and the tigers there use buffer ground that vehicles cannot follow. A male with a range the size of Fateh's can be absent from the tourism routes for weeks. Recent sighting reports are the best information anyone has, and even a strong run of sightings can end the day you arrive. We tell guests this so they choose zone 10 for the right reasons: a quiet drive and a fair chance, not a promise.

Tiger walking below a rocky cliff face in dry forest

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Interested in the quieter zone 10 side where Fateh ranges? Share your dates and we will request it and sort out the extra pickup time. Sending a request costs nothing.

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Fateh at a Glance

Item	Detail
Named after	Fateh Singh Rathore, former field director of Ranthambore
Side of the park	Zone 10, Aantri, Kushalipura, Halonda and buffer
Build	Large, broad-headed male
Access	Separate gate; longer drive from Sawai Madhopur
Offspring	Not confirmed; guides have informed views
Status	Reported present in recent seasons; confirm locally

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Fateh T-42 named after?

Fateh Singh Rathore, the forest officer and field director who built Ranthambore into a tiger reserve under Project Tiger and spent his life defending it. The name was chosen by guides on the zone 10 side.

Which zone is Fateh in?

Zone 10 and the Aantri side, with reported use of buffer areas beyond the tourism routes. Zone 10 boundaries have been adjusted by forest department notifications, so check recent reports.

Is Fateh still alive?

He has been reported in recent seasons, but outer-zone males are seen irregularly and are eventually displaced by younger ones. Ask a guide or check recent sighting reports before planning around him.

Is zone 10 worth booking?

It depends on what you want. It is quieter, easier to obtain and has a different landscape, but tiger density is lower than in the core zones. It works well as a second or third safari rather than your only one.

How far is zone 10 from Sawai Madhopur?

Further than the core zones, with a separate gate, so allow extra travel time, especially for morning slots. We factor this into pickup timing when we book it.

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More famous tigers of Ranthambore

All famous tigers

Tiger walking beside a lake at dawn in Ranthambore

Machali (T-16), the Queen of Ranthambore

The Queen of Ranthambore: lakes territory, the crocodile fight, and the female line that still holds her ground.

Tiger reflected in the still water of a Ranthambore lake

Krishna (T-19), Heir to the Lakes

Machali's daughter who inherited the lakes and raised Arrowhead, keeping the famous line in zones 3 and 4.

Sundari (T-17), Daughter of Machali

Machali's daughter who settled in Kachida, vanished in 2013, and whose line continues through T-73 in zone 5.

Ustad (T-24), the Relocated Male

The zone 1 male moved to Udaipur in 2015 after a guard's death, and the court case that followed.

Dollar / Zalim (T-25), the Father Who Raised Orphans

The Kachida male who chased jeeps and raised two orphaned cubs after their mother died in 2011. Died January 2020.

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Noor (T-39), the Mother of the Zone 1 Side

The tigress of zones 1 and 6 who has raised litter after litter, including Sultan (T-72). Check recent reports for her status.

Laila / Junglee (T-41), the Diamond-Marked Tigress

The confident, diamond-marked tigress of zones 4 and 5, known to guides as Junglee.

Two young tigers playing at the edge of a lake

Arrowhead (T-84), Tigress of the Lakes

Krishna's daughter who held the lakes and raised Riddhi and Siddhi. Reported to have died in 2025.

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