Indonesia's last sub-species of tiger -
the Sumatran - is doomed unless the trade in its body parts is stopped and
its habitats saved, campaigners warn. One estimate suggests there may be
only 400-500 of the tigers left in the wild. The tiger is one of the most
feared animals in the world. That is probably because it is the largest of
the felids, although the Sumatran tiger is smaller than the Indian tiger.
The tiger is known for its stripes, and the Sumatran tiger has stripes that
are a little closer to each other than some other subspecies of tiger.
Tigers have very muscular front legs (forepaws) with large paws armed with
large, sharp claws
They inhabit only the small island of
Sumatra, where there small size makes it easy for them to move in the dense
tropical jungle. Unlike the cheetah and lion, the tiger does not live in
open areas. They rely on ambushing their prey , which requires something to
hide them. As a result, they prefer to live in moderate to dense cover.
Diet: Tigers eat mostly sambar,
chital, Red deer, Swamp deer, Rusa deer, and Wild pigs. Occasionally,
however, they will kill a rhino or elephant calf. About one in ten or twenty
attempts to catch prey is successful. Unlike the cheetah, the large tiger
cannot outrun most of its prey. Instead, it relies on the element of
surprise by hiding in the tall grass and ambushing it prey.
Reproduction
& Offspring: After a gestation period of about 103 days, the mother
tiger gives birth to 2-4 cubs. The cubs weight about 2.2 pounds each, are
totally blind, and completely helpless. The mother raises them alone, since
the male tiger does not stay with any one of his several mates. The mother
hunts and periodically returns to her den to feed her cubs. Later, the cubs
will join her on the hunt and will learn the art from their mother.
Life span: 15 to 20 years.
Conservation status:
The tiger is an endangered species.* Of the eight tiger subspecies that
once existed, only five remain (Bali, Javan and Caspian tigers have become
extinct in the last 40 years). The primary reason for the decimation of wild
tiger populations is human overpopulation and other activities that result
in the destruction and fragmentation of habitat. Increasingly, the demand
for tiger bones and other body parts used in traditional Asian medicines is
contributing to the tiger’s decline. All five remaining tiger
subspecies are endangered. It is estimated that only 6,000-8,000 tigers
exist in the wild (300-400 Sumatran tigers). The future existence of tigers
in the wild is in jeopardy.
Woodland
Park Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Sumatran tigers
across North America. This plan tracks each animal's genetic diversity. It
is our hope that our pair will breed and produce offspring
Not a subspecies, but a separate species?
Sumatran tigers are distinctive for being the only subspecies to live in
isolation on a large island -- Sumatra, Indonesia. They have been isolated
from their cousins on mainland Asia for something like 10-12,000 years; this
happened after a rise in sea level.
DNA sequencing tests involving 34 captive tigers, 10 which were Sumatrans,
have revealed this isolated subspecies now has unique genetic markers.
