India's most iconic big cat - Machli - died on Thursday at the age of 20 due to old age.
She was the longest-surviving tigress in the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan state. Machli had slowed down and lost almost all her teeth in recent years. Park rangers found her starving and laying on its side this week near the park's boundary.
Machli had 11 cubs over the years whose offspring make up almost half the park's tiger population.
Due to her calm nature and penchant for posing in front of cameras, Machli had been the star attraction of the park for years. Meanwhile, the last count in 2014 showed that India has over 2-thousand tigers, accounting for more than half the world's number.
India's most iconic big cat - Machli - died on Thursday at the age of 20 due to old age.