Farha, Amrabad’s Supermom Tigress, is Now a Great-grandmother

Hyderabad: The iconic ‘Supermom’ of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve, tigress Farha, is all set to cross a major milestone in its life this year. With one of her ‘grandchildren’ pregnant, Farha, the matriarch of Amrabad, is all set to become a great-grandmother, ringing in a fresh dose of tiger cubs to the growing numbers of the big cats in the forests of the Nallamala hills.

Tigress F6, nicknamed Farha after the Farhabad range in the tiger reserve which she claimed as her territory around when she was two and a half years old, had her first litter in 2019, and from then on never looked back.

Incidentally, Farhabad, in the heart of the core area of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve, is where the old ruins of a hunting lodge of the Nizams of yore are located, with the ruins themselves a hive of activity for sloth bears and leopards that regularly visit the dilapidated structure.

So far, Farha, just pushing 10 years and in the prime of her life but already the reserve’s matriarch, has had four litters so far with a total of nine cubs. And this year, the tiger reserve officials are waiting for a confirmation that it has had three more cubs.

While this is so, F18, a female tigress a first born of Farha in 2019, which has so far given birth to cubs twice, has emerged as the ‘star’ this year in the ongoing story of the ‘first tiger family’ of Amrabad. While F18 too has reportedly had a fresh litter this year, one female from her among her first born in 2021, numbered F38, is now a first-time mother though officials are not certain just yet as to how many cubs she gave birth to.

This makes the year 2025 a very special one for Amrabad Tiger Reserve with three generations of tigers from a single family tree, giving birth to cubs.

Incidentally, as it happens in the tiger world, Farha left her original territory in the Farhabad range and has moved further into the forest as F18, her daughter took over what was her mother's territory, and during this year's safari season, has been putting up periodic appearances during the morning and evening jungle safaris in the reserve.

Asked if the tiger reserve will celebrate Farha turning into a ‘great-grandmother’ with F18’s daughter, F38 giving birth this year, a senior reserve official said “why not, it is a moment of celebration. Every cub is a celebration.”