The Sumatran Tiger

The Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is one of the smallest subspecies of remaining three species of Tigers ( The Bengal Tiger (India), The Siberian Tiger (Russia), The Sumatran Tiger (Indonesia). It is found on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra.

It is a critically endangered animal whose unique genetic markers differenciate it from almost all the remaining mainland species.
There are merely just 400 - 500 Tigers left in the wild.

Male Sumatran tigers measure around 204 cm (6 feet, 8 inches) in length from head to tail and weigh about 136 kg (300 lb). Females measure averagely around 198 cm (6 feet, 6 inches) in length and weigh about 91 kg (200 lb).

It has narrower stripes than the other tigers. And the males are more bearded and maned than the other species. Its small size is perfectly suited for moving about in the dense jungle of Sumatra, where it lives .
Sumatran Tigers have webbing between their foot that spreads out when it swims making it an fast and adept swimmer.This is because it is sometimes known to drive animals with hoofs into the water while preying, especially if the animal is a slow swimmer.

Its habitat ranges from lowland forests to sub-mountain and mountain-forests, including peat swamp forests . Much of its habitat is unprotected, with only about 400 living in game reserves and national parks. The largest population of about 110 tigers lives in Gunung Leuser National Park . Another 100 live in unprotected areas which are being converted for agriculture .

Deforestation resulting from the production of Palm Oil is a major threat to the Sumatran Tiger. The reserves also do not provide safety, as many many tigers are killed by poachers each year despite conservation efforts. According to the Tiger Information Centre and the World Wildlife Fund there are no more than 500 remaining Sumatran Tigers in the wild, with some estimates considerably lower.

In 2006 the Indonesia Forestry Service, the Natural Resources and Conservational Agency (BKSDA) and the Sumatran Tiger Conservation Program sat down with commercial concession holders and Asia Pulp & Paper and set the foundations for the Senepis Buluhala Tiger Sanctuary, an area that covered 106,00 hectares in Riau by 2008. These organizations formed The Tiger Conservation Working Group with other interested parties and the project is recognised as a pioneering initiative. Current studies include the identifying of feeding behavior of tigers to develop strategies that will help protect both tigers and human settlements.

In 2007, the Indonesian Forestry Ministry and Safari Park established cooperation with the Australian Zoo for the conservation of Sumatran Tigers and other endangered species. The cooperation agreement was marked by the signing of a Letter of Intent on 'Sumatran Tiger and other Endangered Species Conservation Program and the Establishment of a Sister Zoo Relationship between Taman Safari and Australia Zoo' at the Indonesian Forestry Ministry office on July 31, 2007. The program includes conserving Sumatran Tigers and other endangered species in the wild, efforts to reduce conflicts between tigers and humans and rehabilitating Sumatran Tigers and reintroducing them to their natural habitat.

The Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem , Israel is part of an international matchmaking program designed to mate Sumatran tigers and save them from extinction.

The continuing loss of habitat is intensifying the crisis to save this tiger.