Wildlife researchers and forest officials confirm that SKT02 has given birth to cubs at least three times, making her one of the most reproductively successful wild tigresses in the Sahyadris — a rare and vital achievement for this ecologically significant but often overlooked region.

A decade of dominance

SKT02 was first photographed in 2014 by a Maharashtra Forest Department team alongside wildlife researcher Girish Punjabi and his team from the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT). Since then, she’s been under regular monitoring across the corridor landscapes of Sahyadri.