Sumatran Tiger

## About

A female Sumatran tiger.

The Sumatran tiger ***(Panthera tigris sumatrae)*** previously known as the Sunda tiger, is the smallest tiger subspecies and is native to the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Like most tiger subspecies they have orange coats with either dark brown or black stripes. Sumatran tigers have facial tuffs composed of white fur along with, white underbellies and white fur padding underneath their paws, this is a characteristic present in all tiger subspecies. Sumatran tiger cubs are born with blue eyes but as they age they gradually turn shades of green or gold. Sumatran tigers belong to the Felidae family and are genetically distinct from all main land tiger species. The species was newly reassigned into the role of being the smallest tiger subspecies after the extinction of the Bali tiger ***(Panthera tigris balica)*** in 2003. Sumatran tigers are sexually dimorphic with males growing to a length of 2.4m (8ft) and weigh 120kg (264lbs) whereas females grow to 2.1m (7ft) and weigh 91kg (200lbs).

## Diet

Sumatran tigers are known to eat a variety of large mammals such as tapirs, boars, apes and monkeys, deer and orangutans, but do so infrequently. Sumatran tigers also eat livestock such as cattle and goats, which leads them to be heavily poached by farmers. The tigers are also known to be good swimmers and eat aquatic species such as native fish. Sumatra is the only region on Earth where elephants, Asian rhinos, orangutans and tigers coexist, meaning Sumatran tigers may prey on these animals too.

## Conservation Status

Sumatran tigers are classed as critically endangered by the IUCN and are threatened by deforestation. In addition to that the Sumatran tiger is threatened by habitat fragmentation, these practices are common in the region of southeast Asia and are mostly in order to clear out forests for the palm oil and acacia industry. In order to create these plantations, millions of hectares of rainforest is cut down in order to make way for single species uniform plantations. Sumatran tigers are further endangered by the trophy poaching that they face in their region, being usually hunted illegally for their pelts, hides, whiskers and their bones which are typically used in traditional Indo-Chinese medicines. Sumatran tigers are often also targeted by the illegal trade and are particularly sought after in the domestic pet and entertainment trade being kept captive at inexperienced wildlife 'sanctuaries' where they are treated unfavourably in the name of tourism and commercial gain.

### Range and Population

As their name suggests Sumatran tigers are endemic to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The tigers are found most prolifically in pockets of warm and humid lowland and colder mountainous forests. Sumatran tigers are adaptable predators and historically may have even inhabited the entire island as opposed to the small patches they inhabit now, unfortunately Sumatran tiger's distribution data is not mapped on IUCN due to its outdated state. The population of the Sumatran tiger is known and sits at a number below 400 individuals according to the WWF, this is an extremely alarmingly low number and if more captive breeding action is not taken, the tigers could very possibly become extinct in the near future. After the extinction of both the Bali tiger and the Javan tiger ***(Panthera tigris sondaica)*** the Sumatran tiger has been left the only tiger subspecies extant in Indonesia.

## Behaviour

Sumatran tigers specialise in hunting solitarily in densely forested areas, and because of this they are scarcely if ever found in plantations. Due to this dependence on forests, the tigers take refuge in less human controlled areas, avoiding human settlements altogether. This has lead Sumatran tigers to become much more abundant in areas such as national parks. One study conducted in Teso Nilo national park concluded that Sumatran tiger density was on the rise, from a 0.90 individuals per 100km2 (39sq mi) in 2005 to a larger 1.70 individuals per 100km2 (39sq mi) in 2008. Sumatran tigers particularly prefer living in the centres of forests compared to outskirts and are also generally found more abundant in drier regions with less rainfall.

### Relationship with Humans

Sumatran tigers prefer to stay away from human dense areas and this also means they stay clear of palm oil and acacia plantations. The people of Sumatra fear the tigers as they are a very real threat to them, as fatal tiger attacks are common in the region. Because of this centralised communal fear towards tigers, locals will often kill or trap tigers in order to protect their livestock and themselves. Often these killings are due to mythological beliefs more than anything, with many locals believing the tigers to be maniacal spirits. Black markets in the region also insentivise the killing of Sumatran tigers, offering large sums of money for the animal's use in traditional medicines.

## In Captivity

Due to the obvious need for conservation efforts of the Sumatran tiger, many zoos worldwide keep and breed the tigers. From European zoos such as Chester Zoo, UK, Barcelona Zoo, Spain and Tierpark, Germany to American zoos like Zoo Atlanta, USA and even smaller zoos like Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo in Australia and more, Sumatran tigers are kept abundantly in zoos. There is a total population of 200-250 Sumatran tigers in zoos which rivals the size wild population.

## Sources

* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15966/5334836
* Sunda Tiger | WWF - https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sunda-tiger
* Sumatran Tiger | Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatran\_tiger
* Sumatran Tiger | ZOO INSTITUTES - https://zooinstitutes.com/animals/sumatran-tiger-1226/