Extinct Tiger Species: Part 2

The Balinese (Bali) Tiger (Panthera tigris balica)

The Balinese (Bali) Tiger was the smallest among all subspecies of the tiger weighing between 140-220 pounds. Like the Javan tiger, this species resided in the Island of Bali in Indonesia. It is said to have been a darker orange color with fewer stripes and occasional small black spots. It is also known to have had a curious dark band on its head that is not seen in today's species.It was the top predator in this region hence played a huge role in maintaining the balance of other species in the island. It's primary food source was the wild boar, deer, monkeys, fowl and monitor lizards. Since these species were few, hence rare, this presented a severe threat to them. On the right is an artist's attempt at drawing the Bali tiger. Isn't it sad that the only available photo ( i opted not to display it here) of this animal is one where it has been captured and killed?

This tiger was considered extinct way back in the 1940s! And this was attributed to the fact that there weren't any types of protection against hunting them then. So, these tigers were hunted for sport, to protect livestock, as museum collection and as sick as this sounds now, for food. Their habitats were also cleared for developmental activities. None of the Balinese tigers are known to have ever been in captivity. Sad, isn't it?

Bali tigers were last recorded form the western part of Indonesia in 1937 where the last remaining one was said to have been shot in Western Bali. The Bali National Park was established in 1941. While there were claims of surviving Bali species by the end of World War II, no recorded sightings have been made. The island is small in size hence once humans-tiger interactions began to increase, the fate of this creature was sealed! The Balinese tiger was officially declared extinct by the IUCN in 2003.

The Javan and Balinese tigers are said to have been of the same species and two theories are often told of how they came to be apart. Despite these theories, these tigers both have different and touching stories that should never happen to any of the 6 remaining species. Tiger education and awareness coupled with heavy funding are the only hope that the tiger has.We need only to take a look at those tiger species no longer with us to realize that the low numbers of existing tiger species is a wake up call! Will you heed to the call and help save them?