T15, also known as Collarwali and Mataram, the legendary tigress of Madhya Pradesh’s Pench Tiger Reserve, passed away after prolonged illness. She earned the title of “super mom” after giving birth to 29 cubs in eight litters during 11 years- between 2008 and 2018. She was cremated with proper rituals.

Alok Mishra, field director, Pench Tiger Reserve, talked about the cause of death.
The tiger was ill due to old age. She was last spotted near Bhura Dev Nullah on January 14. She was spotted lying down. She was under the observation of veterinary doctors and was unable to walk. She passed away at 6.15 pm on Saturday. The exact cause of the death will be known after a post mortem but prima facie it appears to be due to multi-organ failure caused by old-age.
-Alok Mishra, field director, Pench Tiger Reserve

Her name struck because as a female cub, she was put under a radio-collar in March 2008. She was again radio-collared in 2010. 25 out of 29 of her cubs have survived. Chief Minish Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Sachin Tendulkar and many others paid a tribute to the queen on Twitter.
मप्र को टाइगर स्टेट का दर्जा दिलाने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाने वाली, मध्यप्रदेश की शान व 29 शावकों की माता @PenchMP की ‘सुपर टाइग्रेस मॉम’ कॉलरवाली बाघिन को श्रद्धांजलि।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) January 16, 2022
पेंच टाइगर रिजर्व की ‘रानी’ के शावकों की दहाड़ से मध्यप्रदेश के जंगल सदैव गुंजायमान रहेंगे। pic.twitter.com/nbeixTnnWv
Wildlife lovers and enthusiasts will understand how heartbreaking it is, when a majestic tigress goes into silence forever.
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 17, 2022
Rest in peace, #Collarwali. pic.twitter.com/LLHjn2Ou30
She lived like a queen for 17 years in Pench and gave birth to 29 cubs.
— Ankur Rapria, IRS (@irsankurrapria) January 16, 2022
End of an era.
RIP #collarwali #ripcollarwali #indiaves@RandeepHooda @nehaa_sinha @vivek4wild pic.twitter.com/F9UWV2RmG4
The Queen is no more. Died because of old age. Leaving behind her legacy and her 29cubs. Her contribution is immense in restoring back the ecological balance by improving the tiger population. #RIP #collarwali @PenchMP pic.twitter.com/ZEcpjtWCG6
— Neha Srivastava IFS (@Neha_IFS) January 16, 2022
Such an emotional bonding remains to be the high point and roaring success of Tiger Conservation in India. Lived the life of a Queen. Her contribution to the tiger recovery in the landscape shall remembered for ever.
— Mohanta HS (@Mohanta_HS) January 16, 2022
Pics: @PenchMP #collarwali pic.twitter.com/orQAoUTZ0r
RIP, Queen of Pench. You lived long and majestically. You ruled the food chain and because of you an entire forest was alive. #collarwali
— Aditi Garg (@AditiGargIAS) January 16, 2022
‘Tiger Tiger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?’~ William Blake pic.twitter.com/K3gsF0eWef
Your legacy lives on! ♥️#Collarwali #QueenOfPench pic.twitter.com/q6Hu1IwjI5
— Charu Pragya🇮🇳 (@CharuPragya) January 17, 2022
RIP the Queen of Pench ! #Tigress #Collarwali
— Sonal Goel IAS (@sonalgoelias) January 17, 2022
Such respect & love can only be in India🙏🏻
Heartwarming to see locals pay tribute to the tigress just like their family.
Collarwali was called as ‘mother of Pench’, she holds record of giving birth to 29 Cubs.#LegendaryTigress pic.twitter.com/SM9v3zlSg3
REST IN PARADISE with those butterflies ❤️ #rip #mataram #collarwali #wildlife @BBCEarth @natgeowild @Discovery @PraveenIFShere @IfsMadhu @VijayaRatre pic.twitter.com/gRvpyRA0jg
— Varun Aditya (@VarunAditya_) January 16, 2022
भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि 🙏
— F.L.Y. (@Pilot_Vijay_1) January 17, 2022
RIP, Queen of Pench. You lived long and majestically. You ruled the food chain and because of you an entire forest was alive. #collarwali pic.twitter.com/vieCcJPsph
The Glory of #Collarwali
— Taha Uddin (@realtahauddin) January 16, 2022
– The #Pench Tigress….
Ruled for 16 years,
Mother of 29 cubs
She was last spotted on January 14, when she had come to drink water at her usual spot at the Bhura dev nalla.
She rested near the stream.
The last pics of her last rites- pic.twitter.com/fSCS6CSYvd
#India A country where #tigers kill ~200 people annually. Where ~2900 #tigers live with >1.3bn people
— prerna singh bindra 🐘🐅🐾 (@prernabindra) January 16, 2022
A country which protects its tigers against all odds
A country which accords #tigers a funeral with all rituals
a salute to India, #tiger, its protectors, its people#collarwali pic.twitter.com/U4YkM669kV
Legendary Tigress #Collarwali dies at 16, came to limelight after giving birth to 29 cubs, a record. Her bloodline helped in maintaining healthy population of tigers in this landscape. pic.twitter.com/AzIT2ISRYp
— hemendra tripathi (@hemendratripat1) January 17, 2022
This emotional connect is the main reason behind country’s tiger success story. we bid goodbye to our beloved #Collarwali . Here are a few highlights:
— Neha Srivastava IFS (@Neha_IFS) January 17, 2022
-This Royal Bengal Tigeress lived 17years making MP,a tiger state, now her 29 healthy offsprings are enriching various landscapes pic.twitter.com/ereUog1mCI
Wildlife lovers and enthusiasts will understand how heartbreaking it is, when a majestic tigress goes into silence forever.
— Team Pratik Sehajpal Fan Club (@Prakhar85214975) January 17, 2022
Rest in peace, #Collarwali. pic.twitter.com/egNL4Vdv23
The undisputedly glorious queen of #Pench!! We were lucky to spot her with her 3 cubs… 2 from current and 1 from previous litter… (circa 2016). RIP dear #collarwali 🙌🙏 pic.twitter.com/yFfOz3McUO
— Am (@simply_am_) January 17, 2022
Touching farewell to #QueenOfPench by the locals, Madhya Pradesh.
— Ankit Kurariya (@ankitKurariya) January 17, 2022
Acknowledged as a super mom for giving birth to 29 cubs, she was referred to as #Collarwali for being equipped with a radio collar.
She has left a legacy; it is mostly in India we see such humanness.
Om Shanti! pic.twitter.com/MO7hSa4086
We are still the country that does funerals for tigers. (And crocodiles)
— Neha Sinha (@nehaa_sinha) January 16, 2022
A goodbye for Pench's Collarwali. A beloved tigress who gave birth to generations of cubs.
A tigress spends her life looking after cubs, but dies alone.
Pictures Monu Dubey pic.twitter.com/NX4VFlXrCy
May she rule the jungles in heaven too.