Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve near Chandrapur, Maharashtra, is home to at least 87 tigers, according to the 2022 national tiger census, the All India Tiger Estimation. Ask any safari guide here about them and you will not hear numbers. You will hear names, such as Maya, Waghdoh, Matkasur and Choti Tara, and stories of territory, family and rivalry that regular visitors follow like a long-running drama.
This article introduces Tadoba's best-known tigers and what is known about each of them. Information about individual tigers comes from news reports and from guides and naturalists who track them. Tigers are wild animals whose lives change quickly, so treat the latest status of any tiger as something to confirm locally.
How Tadoba's tigers get their names
Officially, the forest department identifies tigers by codes such as T-12, based on their unique stripe patterns recorded by camera traps. The popular names come from guides, drivers and local people, and usually follow one of three patterns:
- Where the tiger lives: Waghdoh was named after the area he lived in as a young tiger, and the Telia sisters after the Telia lake area.
- How the tiger looks: Waghdoh was also called "Scarface" because of an old injury to his face.
- How the tiger behaves or who its parents are: "Yeda" means "crazy" in Marathi, a nickname for a famously unpredictable male. Choti Tara means "little Tara", after her mother Tara, and Chhota Matka is the son of Matkasur.
Maya, the Queen of Tadoba
No Tadoba tiger is more famous than Maya (T-12), often called the "Queen of Tadoba". She was born in December 2010 to the tigress Leela and a male known as the Hilltop tiger, and she made her home in the Pandharpauni area of the core zone, near Tadoba lake.
Maya was confident around safari vehicles and was often seen walking along forest roads or hunting in the open, which made her one of the most photographed tigresses in India. She was also a remarkably successful mother, raising five litters (in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2022) with 13 cubs in total. Her fame grew beyond wildlife circles: a biography, Maya by Anant Sonawane, carries a foreword by Sachin Tendulkar.
Maya's story has a sad and uncertain ending. Her last camera-trap record was during the forest department's monitoring exercise in March to May 2023, and staff last saw her in the Panchdhara area near Tadoba lake in August 2023. After a search operation, the remains of a tiger were found in the Tadoba range in November 2023. They were too decomposed for a normal post-mortem, so samples were sent for DNA analysis, and officials said the death appeared to be from natural causes. Reports in early 2024 said the DNA results were still awaited. We could not find a public confirmation that the remains were hers.
Waghdoh, the Scarface
Waghdoh was often described as the biggest tiger in Asia, and locals nicknamed him "the Hulk". He was one of Tadoba's most dominant males for years. An injury in his youth left his right eye partly closed and a permanent scar on his face, which earned him the name "Scarface". He fathered dozens of cubs, around 40 by local counts, and was known for spending time with his females and cubs, unusual for a male tiger.
Younger males slowly pushed him out of his territory. He spent his last years in the Junona buffer area, and in May 2022 he was found dead near Sinala village at an estimated 18 to 20 years old, far beyond the usual lifespan of a wild tiger. The post-mortem pointed to starvation and weakness from old age.
Read his full story, including his famous bond with the tigress Madhuri: Asia's biggest tiger Waghdoh died.
Yeda Anna and Madhuri
Before Waghdoh, the prime territorial male of the Moharli range was Yeda Anna, between about 2004 and 2010. His partner was the tigress Madhuri, who had her first litter of three cubs with him in 2010.
By the end of 2010, Waghdoh defeated Yeda Anna and drove him out of his territory. As often happens when a new male takes over, Waghdoh killed Yeda Anna's cubs. Madhuri then had her next litters with Waghdoh, and their pairing became one of Tadoba's best-loved stories.
The Telia sisters
In 2011, Madhuri gave birth to four female cubs fathered by Waghdoh: Sonam, Lara, Geeta and Mona. They grew up around the Telia lake area of the Moharli range, became famous as the Telia sisters, and gave visitors some of the most memorable sightings of that decade.
As the sisters reached adulthood, Sonam (T-30) took over her mother's territory. Madhuri moved out to the buffer zone, and Waghdoh eventually followed her. It is a typical tiger story: daughters often claim part of their mother's range, and the mother moves on.
Choti Tara
Choti Tara, "little Tara", is the daughter of an earlier well-known tigress named Tara. She has a special place in Tadoba's research history: in October 2014 she became the first tigress in the reserve to be fitted with a radio collar. That study helped lead to long-term monitoring of Tadoba's tigers with the Wildlife Institute of India. She was often seen around Jamni lake, and she is the mother of Chhota Matka.
Matkasur
Matkasur is one of the most talked-about males in Tadoba's recent history. Guides and wildlife enthusiasts describe him moving into the Moharli core area around 2014 and 2015 and pushing out established males, including the big male Gabbar. He was a massive male, and his sightings drew crowds of photographers.
Guides link him with Maya in her prime, and he fathered cubs with Choti Tara, including Chhota Matka. By the late 2010s, younger males were challenging him regularly, and he gradually disappeared from the main tourist zones, as ageing males do.
Chhota Matka
Chhota Matka, the son of Matkasur and Choti Tara, grew into one of the most dominant males of his generation. His story shows how harsh a tiger's life can be, even in a protected reserve.
- May 2025: on the night of Buddha Pournima, Chhota Matka fought another male called Brahma. Brahma died in the fight, and Chhota Matka was left with deep, bleeding wounds on his leg.
- August 2025: videos of him limping with fresh wounds circulated on social media. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court took up the matter on its own (a suo motu public interest case), questioning whether he was getting proper treatment.
- Treatment: on the court's direction and following National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols, he was tranquilised and moved to the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur for treatment. The court even asked its amicus curiae (court adviser) to visit him there.
Meanwhile, other males named Bali and Virbhadra were being seen more often in his old area. Reports in 2026 said his health was still a concern and the court was continuing to follow his case. His case raised a difficult question: when should people step in to help an injured wild tiger?
Why Tadoba's tigers fight
Almost every story above includes a fight. That is not drama for its own sake: it is how tigers live.
- Territory is everything. An adult male holds a large territory that overlaps the ranges of several females. To breed, a male must win and keep that territory.
- Young males must leave home. Once they are grown, sons are pushed out by their father or other males and must find or win a territory of their own. This leads to clashes with older, established males, the way Waghdoh beat Yeda Anna and was himself pushed out years later.
- A new male means danger for cubs. A male that takes over a territory may kill the cubs fathered by the previous male, so that the females breed with him instead.
- Daughters often stay close. Young females usually settle near their mother's range, sometimes taking part of it over, as Sonam did with Madhuri's.
Tadoba's high tiger density means these encounters happen often. It is also why tigers regularly move into the buffer zone and nearby villages, which makes living alongside them one of the biggest challenges around Chandrapur.
Frequently asked questions
How many tigers are there in Tadoba?
The 2022 national tiger estimation recorded at least 87 tigers in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, the highest number of any tiger reserve in Maharashtra.
Is Maya still alive?
Maya has not been seen since August 2023. Remains of a tiger were found in her area in November 2023 and sent for DNA testing, but we could not find a public confirmation of the result. Most wildlife watchers believe she is dead.
Can I book a safari to see a particular tiger?
No. You book a gate and a time slot, not a tiger, and your route depends on the guide and the day's conditions. Tigers also move, change territories and disappear without notice. Ask your guide which tigers have been seen recently in the area of your gate.
When is the best time to see tigers in Tadoba?
Usually April to June, when animals gather at the remaining waterholes. See our guide to the best time to visit Tadoba, and our Tadoba safari guide for booking and rules.
Sources: news reports by Deccan Herald (Maya, November 2023 and March 2024) and The Hitavada (Chhota Matka, August to October 2025; tiger estimation, April 2023), our own Waghdoh article, and accounts from Tadoba guides and naturalists. Details of individual tigers can change quickly. Last checked 12 October 2026.