Taken at the Toronto Zoo

This is a Sumatran tiger taking a drink from a small pool in their enclosure. This subspecies is native to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and are notably different from other subspecies in several respects. They are the smallest subspecies of tiger, have the darkest fur (a reddish-orange), the most stripes, and the longest whiskers. In my own opinion, they can have some of the most striking eyes as well.

There are less than 250 of these guys in the wild and that population is shrinking and fragmenting. This is part because of human-tiger conflict and the out-of-control illegal timber industry - it is estimated that over 90% of timber felled on the island is illegal. This highlights the importance of wise buying decisions on behalf of people like us. Buy wood and paper that is FSC certified and ensure that the coffee you buy is 'fair trade' or certified organic. Otherwise, you may actually be contributing the the extinction of the tiger in Sumatra!

For info about FSC products, visit this site: http://www.fscus.org/

For info about fair trade, visit this site: http://transfairusa.org/

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Tigers are the largest of the big cats and are exclusively found in Asia from India to Vietnam, from Indonesia to the Russian Far East. The tiger can be divided into 9 subspecies: 4 are currently critically endangered and 3 are already extinct. Though estimations of tiger populations only a few years ago was 5,500-6,000, today populations are likely closer to 3,500 and are still declining. Dramatic declines of the tiger in India, thought to host the majority of the world’s tigers, have fallen to less than 1,411. Overall, the past decade has seen a 40% reduction in tiger habitat, which now represents a mere 7% of its historic range. Poaching is a significant problem throughout the tiger’s range, the demand for its body parts in traditional medicines, tonics, and exotic dishes driving a lucrative trade that is wiping out entire populations. Long-term threats include habitat fragmentation and prey depletion, which is accelerating the tiger’s demise and subsequently reducing the long-term genetic viability of many populations.

If you want to help, the best for you to do is to educate yourself (http://www.savethetigerfund.org), never buy products made from tigers or endangered species (http://www.wildaid.org), and tell others. Contact me for more information.