Sumatran Tiger
This is one of fifteen tiger species. Tigers scent mark their territory to let others know. Their urine smells like buttered popcorn! Tigers are the only type of big cat that are good at swimming. They can swim across a 7-8 km river with no trouble!
Description
A fascinating fact about Tigers is that each Tigers stripes are unique just like our fingerprints! Tigers have their stripes on their skin aswell! Tiger fur is usually coloured with orange stripes on a black base with a white underbelly. White tigers are rare with dark pink noses and blue eyes. Tigers with no stripes have been seen but are extremely rare. Tigers have the largest canine teeth of any land carnivores, and they have extremely powerful jaws. As well as this they are the worlds largest big cat! Sumatran Tigers are the smallest of all the Tiger Species. Males can weigh up to 120kg and females are usually 90kg.
Habitat
The Sumatran Tiger is only found on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Their habitat ranges from lowlands to and Rainforest in mountains.
Diet & Hunting
Tigers are at the top of the food chain. A Tiger will never eat all of the carcass that he has killed. Tigers are carnivores, they prey on small to medium sized mammals like badgers, rabbits, pigs, deer and wild cattle ranging in weight from 25-1000kg.
They kill their food by jumping up behind their prey biting into its neck, killing it instantly. Approximately only 1 in 20 hunts are successful! The tiger will then drag the kill to a safe place where they will eat it. All Tiger species can eat as much as 30-40 kilograms of meat in 1 meal and can then go for days without eating!
They kill their food by jumping up behind their prey biting into its neck, killing it instantly. Approximately only 1 in 20 hunts are successful! The tiger will then drag the kill to a safe place where they will eat it. All Tiger species can eat as much as 30-40 kilograms of meat in 1 meal and can then go for days without eating!
Breeding & Caring For Young
Females give birth to litters of 2 to 6 cubs. The cubs are raised with little or no help from the dad. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and they stay with their mothers for 2 to 3 years.
Threats
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One of Tigers threats is killing for clothes, rugs and even more disgusting they use their bones and organs for traditional medicine! Even though this is illegal they still do it! Loss of their habitat is another threat. Over 80% of this Tigers habitat is gone! Most of the habitat loss is for palm oil. But also for unsustainable paper products.
Conservation
There are countless number of zoos that are participating in Tiger breeding programs.
How You Can Help
- Another way of helping the amazing tiger is not to buy any tiger or animal products. "They look much better on the animal" Steve Irwin!
- Only buy FSC Certified Paper Products
- Don't buy Paper One or any Paseo paper products
- Send letters to the government about protecting their habitat & making Palm Oil illegal
- Spread the message
Image Credits
World Wildlife Fund