Protecting the Native Ultimate Tiger - Yvonne Rennesia Gulo

When it comes to a tiger, people start thinking about an ordinary tiger. Sumatran Tiger or as we called Harimau Sumatra is a subspecies that originates from the

Indonesian island of Sumatra. This species was the smallest tiger in the five subspecies. The Sumatran tiger’s stripes are closer together and its fur is a darker orange than other subspecies, better allowing it to blend into its tropical rainforest habitat. This tiger has thick whiskers, is highly sensitive and is connected to the nervous system. Whiskers can detect even the slightest change in the air or wind and so provide important information to a tiger regarding its surroundings, including a potential food source. Like the other tiger, the Sumatran Tiger is also carnivorous. They will all prey no matter what their size. They hunt at night and make about a large kill a week. A female is pregnant for about a hundred days before giving birth to a litter of one to six cubs. The cubs stick with their mothers for about two years. A male and female meet only during this brief time to mate; however, he may stay in the area. The female tiger is an induced ovulatory, meaning that her ovaries do not release eggs until mating occurs. After a gestation period of 100-108 days, female tigers will seek a secluded den to give birth to. Litters may range from one to six cubs, though the average litter size is 2-3. The female always rears the cubs alone. Many of the remaining Sumatran tigers live in protected areas, such as national parks. What makes them unique is that they love water. Unlike the others, these tigers love swimming. The animal is endangered because of human activities such as deforestation, illegal poaching, expansion of humans and living purposes. We can save the Sumatran Tiger by supporting the Indonesia Government in implementing a national action plan, reducing human-tiger conflict, conducting scientific research on tigers to improve conservation strategies, and law enforcement and policies strengthening.