Queen of Taru

The ruler of a kingdom has to be fierce, but so does a tigress mother. Set in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India, Maya’s lineage can be traced beyond the history of the park itself. She rules a kingdom with many male tigers that come and go, which makes her and her dominion vulnerable, but she survives: either by pure instinct or by learning from her painful mistakes. The epitome of adaptation and ultimately an embodiment of motherhood, Maya is an iconic ruler and the most photographed wild Bengal tigress in India.

Maya is orphaned at 18 months, along with two siblings. This is a vulnerable age for young tigers and vital life lessons go untaught with the absence of a mother. Maya leaves her siblings behind and opts to fight for survival on her own, before she is really ready. But then, Maya is a special tiger. She’s independent, resourceful and turns to scavenging before she masters hunting; awkwardly killing a wild boar at first, but then masterfully hunting deer at last. And we see it all! Maya claims her mother’s territory and becomes the Queen of Taru. But if she’s to maintain her throne, she needs to continue her lineage.