Famous Tigers of Tadoba: Maya, Matkasur, Chhota Matka & More
Quick Answer
Tadoba’s most famous tigers are Maya (T-12), the Pandharpauni tigress missing since August 2023; Waghdoh (T-33), the old Telia male who died in May 2022; Matkasur, the dominant core male of the late 2010s; his son Chhota Matka (T-126), who ruled Navegaon until his injury and removal in August 2025; and the Telia sisters Sonam (T-24) and Lara (T-19) with their mother Madhuri (T-10). In 2025 field reports name Chhoti Tara around Pandharpauni and the male Xylo across the Kolara buffers.
- Profiles
- 10 tigers
- Tigers in the reserve
- 80+ (official)
- Wider landscape
- ~200 tigers
- Primary archive
- Official Tadoba Diaries
Highlights
- Maya (T-12) — last seen August 2023 near Tadoba Lake; remains found that November, DNA result unpublished.
- Waghdoh (T-33) — died of old age in the Sinala forest on 23 May 2022, aged about 15–18.
- Chhota Matka (T-126) — killed rival T-158 in May 2025, was injured, and was removed from the wild in August 2025.
- Madhuri (T-10) and her daughters, the Telia sisters, shaped the Moharli side for a decade.
All Famous Tigers of Tadoba at a Glance
Identifiers come from official reserve publications or dated news; where sources disagree, the profile says so.
| Tiger | ID | Sex | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya | T-12 | Female | Missing since August 2023; presumed dead |
| Madhuri | T-10 | Female | Historical profile |
| Sonam | T-24 | Female | Historical profile; do not infer current status from social posts |
| Lara | T-19 | Female | Officially documented through 2023 material |
| Tara | T-7 | Female | Historical monitored individual |
| Madhu | T-127 | Female | Officially profiled in 2022 |
| Matkasur | T-49 in a 2024 official account | Male | Historical profile |
| Chota Matka | T-126 | Male | In permanent care after 2025 injuries; will not return to the wild |
| Waghdoh | T-33 | Male | Died May 2022 of old age (about 15–18 years) |
| Chhoti Tara | Official ID to be confirmed | Female | Research dossier |
Which Tiger Ruled Which Zone — and Who Rules Now
Territory holders by zone, past and present. “Now” reflects the latest dated news and 2024–25 field reports; Tadoba does not publish an official territory map.
| Zone | Past holders | Now (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Moharli Zone | Waghdoh (T-33) (Until 2015); Madhuri (T-10) (c. 2014–2022); Sonam (T-24) (c. 2015–2022+); Maya (T-12) (c. 2014 – August 2023) | Field reports from 2024–25 say Chhoti Tara and her daughters Roma and Bijli now use Maya’s old Pandharpauni ground, while Telia remains contested. No official territory map is published. |
| Kolara Zone | Bajrang (Until c. 2020); Junabai (2018–2025); Xylo (c. 2022–2025); Veera and Bela (c. 2024) | Field reports from 2025 name the male Xylo (born 2019) across the Kolara, Madnapur, Belara and Palasgaon buffers, with the tigress Junabai raising cubs in the Madnapur–Kolara buffer. |
| Navegaon Zone | Mowgli (Until early 2021); Chhota Matka (T-126) (2021 – August 2025); T-158 (Brahma) (12 May 2025); Chhota Matka (T-126) (27 August 2025) | Open. Since Chhota Matka was removed in August 2025, field reports describe young transient males competing for the Navegaon and Nimdela area; no new dominant male is confirmed. |
| Pangdi & Zari Zone | Shivaji (c. 2015–2021) | Few dated records are public for this quieter side. Treat any named “ruler” here as unverified until the reserve publishes it. |
Tadoba’s Tiger Family Lines
Two lines dominate public accounts. On the Moharli side, Madhuri (T-10) raised the Telia sisters — Sonam (T-24), Lara (T-19) and their siblings — reportedly sired by Waghdoh, and later Madhu (T-127). Maya (T-12) held Pandharpauni next door for nearly a decade.
On the northern side, the male Matkasur and the tigress Chhoti Tara are named in press reports as the parents of Chhota Matka (T-126), who ruled Navegaon from 2021 until 2025.
How Tigers Are Identified
Every tiger’s stripe pattern is unique. The forest department identifies individuals from camera-trap images and assigns codes such as T-12. Nicknames used by guides often differ from these codes, and some numbers are reused or reported inconsistently online — this archive notes every conflict it finds.
Why No Live Locations
Publishing current den sites, cub locations or movement routes can lead to crowding, disturbance and misuse. Historical, landscape-level ranges are enough to tell each life story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous tiger of Tadoba?
Maya (T-12), the tigress of Pandharpauni and Tadoba Lake, became a national icon. She has been missing since August 2023 and is presumed dead; a biography was published in April 2026.
Is Maya the tigress still alive?
She was last seen in August 2023. Decomposed tiger remains were found in November 2023 and sent for DNA testing; no result has been published, and she is presumed dead.
What happened to Chhota Matka?
He killed the rival male T-158 in May 2025 but was badly injured. On 27 August 2025 he was tranquillised and moved to the Transit Treatment Centre in Chandrapur, and the reserve has said his release is unlikely.
Which tiger rules Tadoba now?
No single tiger rules the whole reserve. In 2025 field reports name Xylo across the Kolara buffers and Chhoti Tara around Pandharpauni, while the Navegaon area has been open since Chhota Matka’s removal.
When did Waghdoh die?
Waghdoh (T-33) was found dead of old age on 23 May 2022 in the Sinala forest of the Chandrapur range, aged about 15–18.
Tiger Profiles
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Sources & References
Facts on wildlife and visitor access can change. These are the principal references for this page; always confirm current permits and rules with the responsible forest department.
- Tadoba Diaries — official books and magazines ↗
- Deccan Herald — Remains found in Tadoba, Maya feared dead (Nov 2023) ↗
- ThePrint — New book traces life of Maya (April 2026) ↗
- The Tribune / IANS — Waghdoh dies of old age (May 2022) ↗
- ThePrint / PTI — Injured tiger Chhota Matka rescued (Aug 2025) ↗
- Navbharat Live — T-126 rescued after fight with T-158 (Hindi) ↗
- The Hitavada — Tadoba’s Fallen King: The Saga of Chhota Matka (Oct 2025) ↗
- Trees N Tigers — The reigning tigers of Tadoba (field report) ↗
Photo Credits
Photos without a credit below are by Wild Excursions. The rest come from Wikimedia Commons under the licences shown.
- Tigress Maya and her three cubs near Telia lake, Tadoba — Parag.naik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Close portrait of the tigress Sonam (T-24) in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve — Sundarraj Kaushik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Male tiger Matkasur walking past a rocky waterhole in Tadoba — Sundarraj Kaushik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tigress Madhuri (T-10) walking on a forest track in the Agarzari buffer of Tadoba — Join2manish, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tigress Tara (T-7) walking down a forest track in Tadoba, 2014 — Stephenekka, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tigress Maya (T-12) walking through green grass in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve — Bobwca2017, CC BY-SA 4.0
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