Jaipur, May 31 -- In the quiet heart of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR), where the ancient Jogi Mahal stands watch over Padam Talab, a story of quiet resilience has unfolded over the past two years. It's the story of Arrowhead, a 13-year-old tigress whose struggle for survival became a testament to the delicate balance between nature and intervention. In early 2023, Arrowhead began showing signs of a troubling hip bone outgrowth following a crocodile attack in March that year. The injury aggravated her condition, and over time, the tumour-like growth restricted her movement to the point where hunting became nearly impossible, said a senior forest official. Her predicament grew more urgent when she gave birth to three cubs in June 2023. With her hunting ability compromised and her territory reduced to just 6 sq.km, the forest department made an unusual but critical decision - to assist Arrowhead through targeted food supplementation. The official said buffalo calves, procured from nearby villages, were released near her location, giving her a chance to feed her cubs. "This was a focused intervention," the official explained. "Only Arrowhead and her cubs received the supplementation, and only between August 2023 and March 2025." The area surrounding Jogi Mahal has long been a cradle for tigresses raising their young. Tigers such as Machli, Sundri, and Krishna all chose this landscape for its water, cover, and prey. Today, three tigresses with three cubs each, along with two adult males, inhabit this 85 sqkm zone. Now nearly two years old, Arrowhead's cubs have begun hunting on their own - successfully bringing down prey such as Sambar and Chital - marking the end of their reliance on human-assisted feeding. The forest department views this as a rare success story in wildlife management, where timely help allowed a compromised tigress to rear her offspring in the wild. Not all aspects of the story are without concern. One of Arrowhead's female cubs, nicknamed "Kan Kati" for a distinctive notch in her ear, has shown signs of aggression toward people on foot. While tigers in zones frequented by tourist vehicles are generally accustomed to their presence, encounters with humans on foot still pose risk. "Tigers may appear tolerant, but they are still wild animals," said the official said. "They can revert to natural instincts in a moment." Decisions on how to manage Kan Kati's behaviour are currently under review, guided by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols. As Arrowhead grows older and fades into the quiet of the jungle, she leaves behind not just cubs but a legacy - a reminder of how coexistence, when carefully managed, can help sustain the wild even in its most fragile moments. On May 14, the forest officials had tranquilised a 20-month-old female cub of the tigress Arrowhead. The young big cat is suspected to be involved in two recent fatal attacks, raising concerns about human-wildlife conflict in the area....