SUMATRAN TIGER  
Panthera tigris sumatrae

The Sumatran tiger, the smallest of all the living subspecies of tigers, numbers only about 400-500 in the wild, and is only found in Sumatra, a large island in western Indonesia. It lives anywhere from lowland forests to mountain forest and inhabits many unprotected areas. Only about 400 live in game reserves and national parks and the rest are spread out in areas that are quickly being lost to agriculture. Even the protected reserve areas are not safe because despite conservation efforts, many tigers are killed by poachers each year - in fact, 66 tigers were recorded as being shot and killed between 1998 and 2000 which is nearly 20% of their total population. Sumatran tigers have unique webbing between their toes, and they are excellent, fast swimmers. The males tend to have more of a mane and a beard than the other tiger subspecies. The Sumatran Tiger may hold even more fascinating information about our world; recent genetic testing has revealed the presence of genetic markers unique to this subspecies, indicating that should it be saved from extinction, over time it may develop into a separate species.

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