Tigress Sultana Seen with Two Newborn Cubs

Tigress Sultana was spotted with her two newborn cubs in Rajasthan’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve on Friday morning, prompting a temporary closure of the route connecting Ranthambore Fort to Ganesh Dham for about 30 minutes.

Forest officials said Sultana gave birth near the Mishradarra Gate, the same area where all her previous litters were born, highlighting her strong territorial attachment. Devotees visiting Ganesh Dham early on Friday spotted the tigress with her cubs and alerted forest authorities.

“About a month after giving birth, the tigress began shifting her cubs deeper into the forest. This morning, Sultana was seen carrying her two cubs into her core territory in Zone 1,” an official said.

As a safety measure, the roughly 2.5-kilometre route was closed to visitors until the tigress safely relocated her cubs into the forest interior. The route was reopened soon after.

The forest department continues to monitor the nine-year-old tigress and her cubs to ensure their safety. Divisional Forest Officer Manas Singh confirmed that with the birth of Sultana’s cubs, the total tiger population in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has risen to approximately 73, including tigers, tigresses, and cubs.

Sultana, also known as T-107, is the daughter of the famous tigress T-39 and was first spotted on camera in November 2020 along with two cubs in the Amareshwar forest area. In 2022, she gave birth to two cubs, one of which fell into the Gaumukh Kund near Mishradarra Gate. In August 2023, she delivered a litter of three cubs.

Reports in April 2025 suggested that Sultana had given birth again, but the information could not be officially verified until now.

The sighting of Sultana and her cubs has delighted wildlife enthusiasts and reinforced her strong presence in the reserve.