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Dynasties

Where are they now? The tigers from Dynasties

By Lucy Jones

SPOILER ALERT: Don't worry, we were crying too. Raj Bhera has survived against the odds to secure her tiger dynasty, but what happened next?

Filming for Dynasties in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve ended in January 2017. Raj Bhera continued to hold her territory against Solo’s incursions. The male cubs remained in the area and gradually began to spend more time apart from their mother and each other.

A tiger cub clinging to a tree
Tigers aren’t good climbers and this cub clings on to the tree, trying to work out how to get down in Bandhavgarh National Park, India. © Theo Webb
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Solo was sighted with a litter of small cubs in the summer of 2017 but, after the heavy monsoon rains, they were never seen again. However subsequently, she has been seen mating with the dominant male in the area.

Sadly, Raj Bhera’s struggle to hold onto her territory came to an end in June 2018 when she was killed in a fight with a rival tiger. The assailant was never identified and the new territory holder is still unknown.

RB’s sons (aged 2 years) were last sighted in June 2018 before Bandhavgarh closed for the monsoon (July-Oct).

A man uses photos to compare the faces of two tigers and accurately identify which one to follow
Photos can be used to compare the faces of two tigers and accurately identify which one to follow in Bandhavgarh National Park, India. © John Brown

The lush monsoon vegetation may have given RB's sons a chance to disperse undisturbed through the park and beyond. But once outside the park, they have to deal with the danger that human settlements pose to them. However, if they can survive on the fringes of the park and build themselves up to full size, they will then be able to return to the park to challenge a resident male and take over his territory.

Raj Bhera’s Bandhavgarh dynasty lives on in her male cubs and her rival daughter, Solo.

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