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!
Lovely photo. I love big cats!
Thank you. Glad you like the photo!
I LOVE tigers. Thanks for providing the links, too. They’re such beautiful and majestic creatures – I wish the people that hunted them would think about what would happen if they became extinct. It’s a shame that you couldn’t see it in the wild but hey, with such low numbers it’s completely understandable why a lot are being protected and conserved.
Tom @ Waegook Tom recently posted..The Fantasy Five: South East Asia
Thank you, Tom! They are gorgeous and it’s such a shame that they’re in danger. Bummer, no? I hope that the groups dedicated to this cause can make some headway.
What an awesome pic! The tiger looks beautiful.
Harriet recently posted..Kim Kardashian Ranks High on the Forbes List
What a beautiful cat. Thanks for sharing the photo, hep cat!
Thank you–glad you like it!
What a gorgeous photo! I love tigers and hope to hold a tiger cub one day! (with supervision of course)
Charu recently posted..Can a $295 Meal Buy You Happiness? An Afternoon at Per Se
Hi, Charu–yes, with supervision!
That’s a great photo. There is also a place in Thailand called the Tiger Temple where you can see tigers live and play with them and take some photos. Would strongly recommend it as well :).
Agness (@Agnesstramp) recently posted..Thailand: The Land of Smiles
Thanks, Agnes! Will keep that in mind….if I go to Thailand, I’ll check that out. Sounds cool!
they sedate the tigers at the Tiger Temple so that tourists can get close to them and take photos. just another form of exploitation..
Naomi recently posted..An expensive breakdown
Sorry, but I’m really disappointed in you. That Bukittinggi Zoo was appalling, with the animals being kept in tiny cramped unhygienic conditions. Unless they have improved their animal welfare practices there since I visited in 2008…
Naomi recently posted..An expensive breakdown
Naomi,
It appears this post is done to promote the beauty of the tiger. There are links to save the tiger websites. She just needed a picture of a tiger to go with the post. I don’t think you should be disappointed in her since she is not promoting the zoo at all just documenting where the photo came from.
Traveling Ted recently posted..Traveling Ted to turn 21