Sundari T-17 Ranthambore
Sundari (T-17) was one of the three daughters in Machali's 2006 litter and the one who settled away from the lakes, towards the Kachida side of the park. She disappeared in 2013 and is presumed dead, but her daughter T-73, born in 2012, is a regular of Kachida Valley and has raised cubs of her own, so Machali's bloodline runs through zone 5 as well as the lakes.
Sundari means beautiful, and guides gave her the name for her fine, even stripe pattern and a face that photographed well. She was slimmer than her sister Krishna and, as a young tigress, was often mistaken for her mother at a distance. Because all three 2006 sisters were photographed constantly as cubs, some pictures labelled Sundari online are in fact Krishna or Satra. If you want to be sure, look for captions that give the T-number rather than the name.
After leaving Machali, Sundari moved towards the Kachida Valley and the Lakarda side, an area of ravines and dry streambeds that is quieter than the lakes. She raised cubs there, including the female now known as T-73, born in 2012. In 2013 she stopped being seen. No body was found and no official cause was announced, which is common in Ranthambore: tigers that die in remote ravines or leave the park are often simply recorded as missing. She is presumed dead.
Her range is generally described as the Kachida side, which under current zoning falls mostly in zone 5 with some overlap into zone 4. This is hillier and more enclosed than the lakes, with fewer long sightlines, so sightings there tend to be shorter and closer. Zone boundaries change with forest department notifications, and the Kachida tracks have been re-routed more than once, so treat any historical zone number as approximate.
Sundari was the daughter of Machali (T-16) and, by most accounts, Jhumru (T-20), sister to Krishna (T-19) and Satra (T-18). Her daughter T-73, born in 2012, took over the Kachida area and is reported to have given birth to three cubs in 2019. That means Machali's descendants hold two separate parts of the park: the lakes through Krishna, Arrowhead and Riddhi, and Kachida through Sundari and T-73. Check recent reports for which of T-73's cubs are still resident.
Sundari never had a single defining event like her mother's crocodile fight. Her fame came from being part of the most photographed litter in Ranthambore's history, and from the fact that she left the lakes at all: a Machali daughter setting up in Kachida gave photographers a reason to request zone 5 for the first time. Her disappearance in 2013, only a few years after the family had been a fixture of every safari, was a reminder of how quickly things change.
If you want to see Sundari's ground, ask us to request zone 5, and to a lesser extent zone 4. Allocation is by the forest department permit system and cannot be promised. Zone 5 rewards patience: the tracks follow streambeds and tigers often appear at close range with little warning, so keep your camera ready and your voice down. Afternoon drives in the cooler months are often good there, but ask for recent reports before deciding.
Kachida is enclosed country and tigers there can be twenty metres away, unseen, for the whole drive. Sundari herself vanished from a well-watched area without anyone knowing how. Her daughter and grandcubs move in and out of the zone with the seasons. Recent sighting reports are the best guide we have, and even they only tell you where a tiger was, not where it will be at seven tomorrow morning.
Interested in the Kachida side of the park? Send us your dates and we will request zone 5 and tell you what guides have seen there recently. Sending a request costs nothing.
6-seater gypsy, shared seat or private. From approx. ₹2,200 per Indian visitor.
20-seater shared canter, the lowest cost per seat. From approx. ₹1,500 per Indian visitor.
Send your date, slot, and visitor IDs. We check permit availability and confirm the price.
| Relation | Tiger | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | Machali (T-16) | Queen of Ranthambore, died 2016 |
| Father | Jhumru (T-20) | Widely reported as the sire of the 2006 litter |
| Sisters | Krishna (T-19), Satra (T-18) | Krishna took the lakes; Satra moved to Sariska |
| Daughter | T-73 | Born 2012; regular in Kachida Valley |
| Grandcubs | T-73's 2019 litter | Three cubs reported; check recent reports for survivors |
She stopped being seen in 2013. No body was found and no cause was announced, so she is presumed dead rather than confirmed. Disappearances like this are common for tigers that die in remote parts of the reserve.
T-73 is Sundari's daughter, born in 2012. She holds territory in the Kachida Valley area and is reported to have raised three cubs in 2019, continuing Machali's line on the zone 5 side of the park.
The Kachida and Lakarda side, mostly zone 5 with some overlap into zone 4 under current zoning. Zone boundaries are set by the forest department and have changed over time.
She is Machali's daughter from the 2006 litter, sister to Krishna and Satra.
It can be, particularly for close-range sightings in the streambeds, but it is enclosed country and results vary. Ask for recent sighting reports rather than relying on reputation, and remember zones are allocated by the permit system.
The Queen of Ranthambore: lakes territory, the crocodile fight, and the female line that still holds her ground.
Read more
Machali's daughter who inherited the lakes and raised Arrowhead, keeping the famous line in zones 3 and 4.
Read more
The zone 1 male moved to Udaipur in 2015 after a guard's death, and the court case that followed.
Read moreThe Kachida male who chased jeeps and raised two orphaned cubs after their mother died in 2011. Died January 2020.
Read moreThe tigress of zones 1 and 6 who has raised litter after litter, including Sultan (T-72). Check recent reports for her status.
Read more
The confident, diamond-marked tigress of zones 4 and 5, known to guides as Junglee.
Read more
Krishna's daughter who held the lakes and raised Riddhi and Siddhi. Reported to have died in 2025.
Read more
Arrowhead's daughter and Machali's great-granddaughter, reported as the dominant tigress of the lakes as of recent seasons.
Read moreExplore more planning pages to compare safari timings, booking options, trip cost, travel routes, and family-friendly advice before you book.