I love animals and wanted to highlight different endangered species in my illustrated adventure book, Captain Pabbu and the Buried Treasure. One of these is the Sumatran Tiger. If you have the book, keep your eyes peeled, because it’s hiding in the background somewhere! Let me know in the comments where you find it!

The way that these tigers got their unique name is because of their location. In the wild, they live and are only found on Sumatra, a large island off the coast of western Indonesia. They are completely separate from their “cousin” tigers on the mainland and have been for the past 10-12,000 years which was due to the rise in sea level.

They roam from the lowland forests to mountain forests but live primarily in the forest center. They are nocturnal animals, meaning they sleep most of the day and are awake at night to hunt. Most tigers will travel up to 20 miles at night in search of food. Since Sumatran tigers are smaller, they can move more quickly through the forest and find food faster. 

Sumatran tigers have really long whiskers that act as “feelers” to the environment around them. Their whiskers are sensitive and can sense nearby objects, which helps them to not run into trees, branches, or bushes. 

They generally live alone, except when it’s time to make a family. When a female Sumatran tiger gives birth, she has one to six cubs. The cubs will stay with their mother for up to two years (which is the age they can hunt for themselves) before they take off on their own. Like all tiger species, the Sumatran tiger lives about 15 years in the wild.

An adult Sumatran tiger weighs 260 pounds on average and measures up to 8-feet long. They are actually the smallest of the tiger subspecies. Other species of tigers can weigh up to 660 pounds and can get up to 10-feet long. 

Five Fun Facts about the Sumatran Tiger:

1. How to tell Sumatran Tigers from other tigers: Their stripes are closer together, their orange has more of a darker red color, and they have a mane and a beard!
2. They have webbing between their toes makes the Sumatran tiger an adept swimmer. Kind of like duck feet!
3. They are night hunters! Their main food is the wild boar, but they also eat deer, fish, monkeys, and even birds. They rely on their stripes as camouflage and use their body weight to knock their prey down.
4. They can run almost 40 miles per hour. 
5. The white spots on the back of the Sumatran tiger's ears are called "eye spots" or "predator spots". These spots function as false eyes to make them look larger to any predator approaching from behind. This is particularly helpful in keeping cubs safe.
   

The habitat of the Sumatran tiger is unprotected and decreasing quickly due to deforestation for palm oil, coffee, and acacia farms. It’s losing its home and the tiger is hunted ruthlessly by poachers for its teeth and mane, which in Indonesia is a symbol of status in society. 

Sadly because of this, it’s estimated that there are only 400 Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild. They are now considered a Critically Endangered species, which means they are close to extinction. 

In 2013, there were an estimated 375 tigers living in national parks, zoos, and other protected areas throughout Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

To support the Sumatran Tiger or other endangered species, find an organization to support or visit a zoo and donate to their survival funds. If interested, Fauna and Flora International is an organization that specifically strives to conserve endangered species on the island of Sumatra. Check out their website here. 

Here’s to raising awareness about Sumatran Tigers!

Cheers,