Sumatran Tiger
With just 350-500 individuals thought to remain in the wild, the Sumatran Tiger is Critically Endangered.
Zoos around the world are working together in scientifically managed conservation breeding programmes, aimed at preserving the genetic uniqueness of the Sumatran Tiger. Chester Zoo’s tigers, Kirana and Fabi, are important in the European Endangered Species Programme.
Sumatran Tigers are the smallest of all tigers alive today and their stripes are narrower and closer together than on many other sub-species. These features make them highly adapted to moving stealthily through dense forest vegetation, out of sight of un-suspecting prey. They also have webbing between their toes, making them superb swimmers.
Our Sumatran Tiger enclosure is heavily planted to replicate their natural environmental conditions. Kirana, our female tiger, is a little secretive and can often be seen skulking in the undergrowth. Chester Zoo keepers feed Kirana and Fabi a variety of meats including rabbit, chicken and beef. Food is hidden around their enclosure, placed at the top of a climbing pole, or floated on a raft in the water, which encourages our tigers to ‘hunt’ for their prey as they would in the wild.
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Species Information
Where they live: The island of Sumatra, western Indonesia
Habitat: Dense forests from the lowlands to the mountains, Sundaland rivers and peat swamps.
Size: Length (including tail): up to 250cm; Shoulder height: Up to 60cm
Weight: Up to 150kg
Conservation status: IUCN Red List - Critically Endangered Threats: Deforestation, habitat loss and fragmentation caused by logging and increased agricultural development – particularly for palm oil plantations. Illegal hunting and poaching - particularly outside of National Park areas.