The Tiger is a large, well-muscled, swift hunter, armed with up to 4 inch-long claws, and 2.5-to-3 inch long teeth! The tiger is a stalk-and-ambush predator, and their stripes make for a great camouflage amongst the long grasses and wooded forests. A Tiger’s stripes, much like fingerprints, are unique to each individual, and they are often used as a way to identify them.

The Sumatran Tiger is considered to be the smallest of its kind; however, at a length of up to 9.5 feet (excluding the tail), it’s still a pretty large cat! Their beautiful orange coat is darker than other species, probably due to its native dark jungle habitat; the sides of its face have longer fur, thought to protect it from sharp twigs and jungle plants. Also, they have noticeably long whiskers, which are distinct to this species, and serve as sensors whilst navigating the dark, dense forests.

With the exception of mothers with cubs, Sumatran Tigers are generally solitary animals, and their territory normally spans between 16.78 and 32.31 square miles, depending on the habitat and resources available within it. Males normally have larger territories than females; some Tigers will fiercely defend their territory, whilst others willingly share their range. Males are more likely to share their territory with females than with other males, and their range often overlaps with multiple female’s territories. Territories are marked by scratching marks into trees; this also serves to sharpen their claws.

Tigers are one of very few big cat species that love water, and will actively seek it out to go swimming! Having partially webbed toes, they are powerful swimmers, and are often seen by ponds, streams, and rivers waiting to ambush prey.

When in estrus, the female will urinate on trees to attract males into her territory. Through loud moaning calls, the male and female eventually find each other to breed. After mating, the male will sometimes stay with the female for a few days, before they eventually go their separate ways. Tiger cubs are born helpless, but the mother must regularly leave them to go hunting. She may initially have up to 7 cubs; however, it is often difficult for her to find enough food in the wild, so on average only 2 cubs will survive. 

Cubs will often practice hunting techniques on each other, and by 8 weeks old, they will join their mother on hunts. By around 6 months, they will make their first kill; however, they will continue to live and hunt with their mother for approximately
2 years. Up to half of all tiger cubs born do not survive their first year, succumbing to starvation, disease, competition with other species, accidents, and injuries.

During a hunt, the Tiger will use their large, powerful paws and retractible claws to wrestle their prey to the ground, before finally killing them with a suffocating bite to the neck. Tigers have 30 teeth (fewer than other carnivores), and their canine teeth are equipped with sensory nerves, enabling them to identify where the jugular vein is and adjust their bite accordingly.

While pigs and deer are their preferred prey,  it is not unknown for Tigers to attempt rhinoceros, elephant calves, and even crocodiles! They generally make a kill once or twice per week, and eat as much as they can, using their rough sandpaper-textured tongue to lick as much meat from bones as possible. If there is too much to eat, the Tiger will cover its leftovers with grass and dirt, hiding it from vultures and other scavengers; it will return regularly over the next few days to finish the meal.

Originally, there were 9 species of Tiger living in the wild; today, it is thought that there are only 6 species remaining. All species of tiger are highly endangered due to humans hunting them and encroaching on their habitat. 

Whilst some are hunted for their fur, many cultures mistakenly believe that their body parts have medicinal properties - using them as cures for things like pimples and toothache; not one of these “cures” have ever been proven. Tigers also suffer habitat destruction, as people move in to areas where they live, forcing them into smaller territories, in which there aren’t enough resources to survive. 

Researchers estimate that there are less than 5000 Tigers in the world, and that of those, only 370 Sumatran Tigers survive in the wild. These numbers are declining at alarming rates. Scientists estimate that the Sumatran Tiger species could be the next to go extinct in the wild, unless drastic measures are taken to protect and preserve them.