Little Book of Big Facts: Sumatran Tiger (Suffix)
This is a tiger, the biggest cat in the world! There are many kinds, but this is a Sumatran tiger from Indonesia. Oh, look! Is that a big cat?
Yes! They live on the island of Sumatra, on coasts and in hills where there are trees. They like to hunt in the woods where there are lots of animals for them to eat. So, that is a Sumatran tiger?
There are island tigers and mainland tigers. Sumatran tigers are the only island tigers left, but there used to be tigers on Java and Bali. Malayan, Bengal and Siberian tigers are mainland tigers. What other kinds of tigers are there?
No! Tigers are mostly all orange with black stripes. There are white tigers with black stripes, and golden tigers with pale brown stripes. There are even tigers that are all white with no stripes. But there are no pink ones! Are there pink tigers?
No, you must never try to ride one. Sumatran tigers are big wild animals. They grow to be up to two and a half metres long and weigh up to 150 kilograms. Tigers have the longest and sharpest teeth of all cats, nine times longer than human teeth! Can I ride one?
Their stripes help them blend in with the bushes and long grasses they like to hide in. They jump out at deer, birds and wild boars as they come by. Tigers are very fast and strong! How do they hunt?
Can I get one as a pet? Of course not! Tigers are wild animals, and you should not go near them. Even if you climb a tree or swim across a river or pond you are still not safe. But soon, there may not be many of them left in the wild.
Very few. There are only about three hundred of them left. There are a lot of things that threaten them. Oh no! How many are left?
Some people still hunt tigers, even though hunting is against the law. The woods that they live in are also going away because they are being cut down so more palm oil farms can be planted. Many people are trying to help the tigers, but it is hard. What are the tigers threatened by?
A lot of people like them! Tigers look cool and sometimes even cute, when they are baby tiger cubs. They are very famous in Indonesia and all over the world, so we need to keep them safe! I won't ride one or keep one as a pet, but I still love tigers!