The Mischief-Maker
While the cubs were being trained to hunt, their playful mischief was far from over — especially for P2, who was always up to something. Restless by nature, she constantly played pranks on her siblings, often driving her siblings to the brink of irritation.
Even the forest staff weren’t spared from her antics. Every year, Buddha Purnima — the birth anniversary of Lord Gautam Buddha — is a very special night in the forest. It marks the first full moon of the Hindu calendar month Vaishakha. On this night, forest personnel take positions on watchtowers near waterholes to monitor and record animal activity. That year, a few staff members were stationed at a machan (a watchtower made of wood and iron used for wildlife observation) near Ainbodi. There was a mahua tree standing about five feet away from the structure. Around 6 to 6.15 in the evening, Leela arrived at the waterhole with her cubs. After drinking, they settled down to rest — everyone, that is, except P2! True to form, she was drawn to the machan. She circled it a couple of times, while the forest staff above watched her in amusement. But then she began climbing the nearby mahua tree. Panic spread through the machan. The staff decided to radio their superiors for help. By then, P2 had already climbed about seven feet — just five more, and she would have reached the platform. Just then, a well-timed call from Leela broke her focus. P2 abandoned her climb and came down. The team on the machan heaved a collective sigh of relief.
On another day, several tourist vehicles had stopped in the forest at a clearing. A forest guard dismounted from his motorcycle to guide the vehicles into proper formation to prevent crowding. Meanwhile, P2 emerged from the bushes behind the vehicles. Despite the presence of all the tourist vehicles, she showed no signs of fear. With a calm, confident stride, she crossed the road and approached the parked motorcycle. Tourists gasped in amazement at her boldness. The forest guard, however, quickly took cover in a nearby Gypsy. P2 was unfazed. Her eyes lit up when she saw the motorcycle—it was something new, something to explore. She sniffed around and noticed a small object dangling from the handlebar: the guard’s lunchbox. Her eyes gleamed again, her mischievous streak kicking in. She deftly grabbed the lunchbox with her teeth and trotted off with it as if collecting a toll from those trespassing in her territory. It wouldn’t be the last time, either — on two more occasions, she snatched lunchboxes from unsuspecting forest guards.
Yet the staff couldn’t help but admire her playful nature. They had begun to realize that this tigress was unlike any other they had known. Photographers and tourists, too, were enchanted by her. Even at such a young age, she seemed to pose fearlessly for the camera.
The same cub would later became known across the world as ‘Maya’. How she got that name is a story in itself — but for now, let’s just call her Maya.
The First Step
The summer of 2012 was unforgiving. On the last day of May, Maya had started to move through the jungle on her own, away from her mother and siblings. That afternoon, with the heat pressing down she made her way to the Ambepat waterhole in the Pandharpauni area. After drinking, she slipped in the cool water and settled in.
As evening approached, the sun dipped towards the horizon. But Maya showed no inclination to leave. She noticed a tourist jeep parked on the far side of the waterhole but paid it no attention. The visitors watched her, cameras clicking, as she remained still, unbothered by her surroundings.
Then suddenly, her calm demeanour shifted. Maya stirred.From the opposite direction, a large wild boar had begun to approach the waterhole. Maya lifted her head, glanced at it briefly, then crouched in the water until her body was flat against the ground. She had seen her mother make the same movement while hunting. Now, she was trying it herself. The tourists, who were watching, held their breath. But the boar kept advancing, oblivious to the looming danger. Maya held her position in the water, not a twitch of an ear. Her eyes stayed locked on her target. As the boar got within striking distance, she sprang up from the water. A sudden burst, followed by a spray of water—and the next instant, she was on the boar’s back. Realizing what had happened, the animal let out a desperate squeal and tried to throw her off with a violent jolt. But Maya’s grip was unshakable. Sharp claws dug in. Teeth sank into the upper part of its neck. The boar fought back with all its might, lifting its body off the ground, but Maya used her weight to pin it down again.
The boar’s grunts echoed through the Ambepat area. This was far from an evenly matched contest. The boar was fully grown, powerful and experienced, while Maya, barely a year and a half old, was small and inexperienced. She couldn’t figure out how to land a decisive bite on its throat, but she was relentless. The boar kept struggling to break free, and she tightened her hold with each attempt. It became a battle between the boar’s brute strength and Maya’s unyielding determination. A cloud of dust swirled around them. At one point, the boar managed to rise to all fours, with Maya clinging to its back with all four paws. Just when it seemed the boar might prevail, Maya summoned her strength, and with a fierce thrust slammed its body back to the ground.
Half an hour passed. Both animals were exhausted. Blood trickled from the boar’s back, and a large chunk of its neck had been torn. Yet it continued to resist, while Maya remained steadfast, unwilling to let go of her prize. She didn’t know precisely how to kill it, but was determined not to lose her hunt.
The fight had lasted a gruelling 45 minutes. As the tourists’ safari neared its end, they had to leave the scene. The boar’s efforts were weakening; Maya’s resolve remained strong. In a decisive moment, she flipped it over like a seasoned wrestler and finally managed to grip its throat. Maya had emerged victorious.
This was possibly her first major solo kill. The intense encounter revealed her aggression, determination and courage — traits that set her apart from her siblings.
Most importantly, it marked the first step in her journey towards becoming the queen of Tadoba