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Sumatran tiger

Did you know?

Panthera tigris sumatrae

Tigers are excellent swimmers! They can easily cross rivers and lakes five miles wide. Our own tigers enjoy a swim now and then, especially on a hot day or to find food.

EXCITING NEWS: There’s a new tiger in town! Meet endangered Sumatran tiger Sanjiv.

Discover tigers

Habitat
Wild and Zoo
Sumatran tigers live in lowland and mountain forests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Around 7-8 feet long, they have characteristic black striping on orange fur, with long whiskers and claws.
There's A New Tiger In Town
Meet Sanjiv the Sumatran Tiger
There’s a new tiger in Tacoma! We are excited to announce the arrival of our newest resident, an 11-year-old male Sumatran tiger named Sanjiv (pronounced sun-jeev).
Welcome Sanjiv
Meet the Keepers
(They don't bite.)
Keepers in our Asian Forest Sanctuary give a chat daily. Ask questions about each animal, and find out how our zoo team feeds and cares for them.

Meet our tigers

Kali
Indah
Sanjiv
Eating
(and predators!)
Tigers are carnivores. They hunt wild pigs, deer, tapirs, fish and anything else they can catch.
Humans are the Sumatran tiger’s main predator, hunting them for meat, fur and protection. Young tigers can fall prey to leopards, snakes and other tigers.
Born wild
and ready to hunt.
After a gestation of 100-110 days, females give birth to a litter of 2-4 cubs.
Cubs weigh a little over two pounds at birth, and nurse for 6-10 weeks. By 18 months they are ready to hunt for themselves.
Hunt like a tiger
Sleep like a cat.
Tigers are generally solitary, and not very active most of the time. They sleep 18-20 hours per day!
Males and females both mark their territory by spraying urine on trees, bushes and the ground.

Protecting Tigers

Hunted tiger, shrinking forest

THE THREAT: Like many animals, tigers depend on tropical rainforests to survive in the wild. In southeast Asia, these forests are rapidly being cut down to grow palm oil, found in many food products. Tigers are also hunted by poachers. Only about 400 to 500 Sumatran tigers remain on their native Indonesian island of Sumatra.

TAKE ACTION: To help save tigers, learn about and buy only products made with sustainable palm oil. Urge companies to make the switch. And consider donating to our Dr. Holly Reed Conservation Fund, which supports tiger conservation in Sumatra.

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Who's nearby?
Visiting our tigers? Then keep an eye out for our tapirs! As we rotate our Asian Sanctuary animals around their habitats, this keeps the smells interesting for both species…