The Sumatran tiger is a population of Panthera tigris sondaica on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali and Javan tigers are extinct.
They are quite different in appearance, with narrower stripes and larger manes, they also have slightly webbed paws which allow them to swim more efficiently after their prey.
After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Sumatran tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Sumatran tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg, the mother feeds them milk for about 2 months before the cubs are introduced to meat. The cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months before hunting on their own.
- Sumatran tigers are the smallest of all living tiger subspecies, weighing up to 140kg.
- At the top of the food chain, tigers play an important role in the ecosystem.
- Loss of habitat, due to large-scale plantation development, causes human-wildlife conflict. Tigers are forced into human settlements, where villagers protecting their families and livestock may kill them. Less than 400 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild.
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