Today’s photo is of a rare Sumatran tiger, also known as Panthera tigris sumatrae, a tiger subspecies that is critically endangered. It’s native only to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and even there, the numbers are limited.
Sumatran Tiger, West Sumatra
Approximately 200 Sumatran tigers are currently living in zoos in various parts of the world, according to this source; 300 are living in the wild. I wasn’t able to find information about how many are in Sumatra itself.
The Sumatran tiger is one of the smallest tiger subspecies. According to Wikipedia, the males weigh between 220 to 310 pounds and are between 87 and 89 inches in length.
Note: I shot the photo at the Bukittinggi Zoo in West Sumatra. I wish I’d seen it in its own habitat, but that simply wasn’t possible.
Photographic Details
Camera: Olympus XZ-1
F stop: 3.5
Shutter: 1/500 second
ISO: 200
Filter: none
Reactions/Thoughts/Experiences?
Have you ever seen a tiger before? If so, where–in its natural habitat or in a zoo?
Are you a fan of the ‘big cats’? If so, which is your favorite? I personally think they’re all quite gorgeous. Other animals (like zebras) are, too, however.
Do you support endangered animals by writing about them or making donations to special organizations? If so, feel free to link to one in your comment.
Link Love
Here’s a link to Tigers in Crisis, an organization that is dedicated to protecting endangered tigers.
You might also want to check out the Sumatran Tiger Trust, a site that’s just about this particular tiger. It has a lot of interesting information.
Here’s another site, Save Tigers Now, which explains the role of people (poachers who sell skin and bones of tigers) in the possible extinction of the Sumatran tiger (and others).
Can’t Get Enough?
Want to see more photos from around the world? Here are the other ‘photos of the day‘ (people, places and things) from several continents. Enjoy!
Photo is (c) L Egle/Chickybus and may not be used without permission.
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