Most photographed tigeress dies at Ranthambore

India's most famous tiger, photographed by thousands of tourists over the years at Ranthambore National Park, died on Thursday, days after the ageing animal stopped eating. She was 19 years old. Machli, the longest surviving tigress in the wild, died on Thursday after being critically ill for more than a week. Machali had been the star attraction of Ranthambore National Park for years because of her seemingly calm nature and penchant for posing for cameras, and she even had her own Facebook page. Often touted as the ‘Queen of Ranthambore’, the tigress was hardly moving or eating anything during the last few days. According to reports, a team of veterinary doctors and forest officials were “monitoring” her condition for the past week.

"We were trying to provide her treatment but she died. It was a natural death linked to her age," Ranthambore tiger project director Yogesh Kumar Sahu said. The tigress, who reportedly gave birth to eleven tiger cubs in her lifetime, was confined to a small section of the Ranthambore park during her last few days. Machli crossed the average life expectancy of tigers which stands at 12-13 years.  She was also famous for her  fight with a 14-foot-long crocodile that has become one of the most remembered and memorable incidents.