T-25, or Zaalim, was a tiger with a reputation for being ferocious. He was initially named Dollar because of a $-shaped sign -- seen in the picture above -- on his side. (Photo: Somshri Patnaik)

T-25, a male tiger who wowed wildlife enthusiasts by becoming a 'mother' to two orphaned cubs, died this weekend at Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted the news of the demise of T-25, who was also known as Dollar or Zaalim.

Born in the late 2000s, T-25 was known as Dollar because of a '$'-shaped stripe on his side. However, over the years forest officers took to calling him 'Zaalim' because of the tiger's ferocious nature.

Reportedly, Zaalim was no fan of humans and was often found growling at and chasing tourists on vehicles. This, along with his propensity to aggressively expand his territorial dominance by usurping areas belonging to other tigers, led to forest officers calling him Zaalim.

WHEN THE TIGER CHANGED HIS STRIPES

In early 2010s, however, Dollar or Zaalim left forest officers and wildlife enthusiasts shocked when they discovered that he had taken to rearing two cubs whose mother had died due to an illness in 2011.

Bina-1 and Bina-2 lost their mother T-5 in early 2011 to an infection when they were just five months old, according to an India Today report form 2012. Worried that the two cubs could fall prey to male tigers, forest officers began making plans relocate them to the less-populated Sariska Tiger Reserve.

However, bureaucratic red-tape threw a spanner in the works and delayed the translocation. Soon, video camera traps set up at the Ranthambore National Park captured incredible footage: Zaalim had taken Bina-1 and Bina-2 under his wings.

Not only was Zaalim protecting the two cubs, he was also teaching them hunting and other survival skills. This was highly unusual.

Sad news from the wild life that #Ranthambore’s famous Tiger-T25 is no more. It was a magnanimous #Tiger, who took care of two orphan cubs, displaying fatherly instincts in raising and protecting them to the surprise of conservationists. T25 will be missed.#Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/bzzcDXw2gZ Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 20, 2020

Male tigers are known not to care for cubs; in fact, male tigers are generally seen as a threat to cubs. This is why Zaalim's act of taking two cubs under his wing and providing them almost mother-like care shocked and surprised several forest officers as well as wildlife enthusiasts. Zaalim had "into quite a softie", wildlife expert and tiger observer Balendu Singh told the news magazine Outlook in 2012.

In 2013, Bina-1 and Bina-2 were moved to the Sariska Tiger Reserve and Zaalim's brief moment in media spotlight remained just that -- brief.

His body was discovered in the Sanwata region of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. According to news agency PTI, forest officers suspect Zaalim, whose head was found crushed, died in a territorial fight.