Tigress keeps watchful eye on her cubs as they cool off in pond at Tadoba reserve

A mother tigress and her cubs turned a muddy waterhole in Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve into their own little pool, with the youngsters splashing around while their protective mother kept watch from the bank.

The video was originally shared on Instagram by Rahul Mangam, who works at Tadoba and frequently posts glimpses of the reserve’s tigers on his account.

In the video, several young tiger cubs could be seen cooling off in the shallow, muddy pool. Around four or five cubs were visible at different moments, with some partially submerged in the water while others simply laid down in the muddy pool.

Just a short distance away, their mother sat upright on the bank, calmly watching the cubs as they played. Later, the tigress leaned towards the water, appearing to drink or check on the youngsters before continuing to keep an eye on them.

The video was later re-shared on X by Susanta Nanda, a retired Indian Forest Service officer who served for 36 years.

Sharing the video, Nanda called it “The best pool party that I have seen” and added, “Under the watchful eyes of their protective mother.”

Watch the video here:The best pool party that I have seenUnder the watchful eyes of their protective mother pic.twitter.com/f5SVNdlVM1— Susanta Nanda IFS (Retd) (@susantananda3) September 18, 2026

The rare glimpse of the tiger family enjoying the water delighted viewers. One commenter described the sight of the cubs and their mother having a good time in the pool as enchanting, while another discussed the different experiences visitors could have depending on the season.

Others simply reacted with amazement at the unexpected poolside scene.

For the cubs, it appeared to be a carefree afternoon of splashing and playing. For their mother, however, it was clearly a pool party that still required supervision.- EndsPublished By: Published On: Sep 19, 2026 14:13 IST