Tiger Species: Part 1

So...i'd like us to look deeply into each of the tiger species and possibly be able to learn a thing or two. I had mentioned that there are 5 existing species, However, some research I've read shows there are currently 6 species...which includes the Malayan Tiger. So, for the next couple of days, i'll talk about these 6 remaining species and then crown this series by talking about the extinct species.

The Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae )
The Sumatran Tiger is named after the Sumatra Islands where they exist in the entire Indonesia. According to the IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature); a conservation status for species that indicates whether they are extant (still alive) and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future, the species is categorized as Critically Endangered. Harsh, right?

The Sumatran tiger is sadly at the brink of extinction with around 400 tigers left and therefore making efforts toward conserving them very intense. They are the smallest of all living subspecies of the tiger and interestingly so because they adapt to the dense forests of the Sumatra with less habitat than other tigers. Adult males weigh between 100 and 140 kgs and females weigh between 75 and 110 kgs. They grow to a length of up to 8 feet giving them a slender appearance. One distinctive thing about them is that the stripes on their body are closer together than any other species and have more hair on the face than other species. They are also extremely fast swimmers due to webbing in their feet...Nice, right? And that's not all, they have white spots on the back of their ears which confuses their prey and protects them from predators. No wonder they stand out!

The main threat facing this species is habitat destruction by humans paving way land for agriculture and infrastructure. The other reason for their near extinction is due to the rampant illegal wildlife market whereby their body parts are sold as traditional Chinese medicine. A study by Shepherd and Magnus in 2004 revealed that a minimum 50 Sumatran tigers were killed annually between 1998-2002, with app. 76% killed for trade and 15% due to human-tiger conflicts. Sad, isn't it?

With continued efforts the world over to try and lift up this species from near extinction, we need to pose and ask what we can do. I know what am doing about it. What about you reader?