This is a female Sumatran tiger who was patrolling her territory. She actually came quite close to the glass I was behind numerous times, but due to the poor state of the glass, my sub-par camera and her refusal to stay still it, was rather difficult to get a good shot of her. However, patience is indeed a virtue and I was able to get this shot after a few hours. It is nothing special; however, I did want to spend time observing the behavior of her and her cubs. They were a joy to see.

Sumatran tigers are the smallest of all tiger subspecies, have the darkest and shortest fur, have the most stripes, the longest cheek whiskers (mystacial vibrassae) and the males have the most prominent ruffs (the tiger equivalent to a mane). They live in Indonesia in the island of Sumatra in fragmented populations that are increasingly threatened by illegal forestry and agriculture. Estimates of the subspecies puts their population at about 250-500, enough to earn them the IUCN identification of being critically endangered. Their primary threats are habitat loss, prey depletion, revenge killing by villagers and the illegal trade in tiger parts.

If you want to help this species, please visit this http://www.wildaid.org/endangeredsp.....index.asp?id=1

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Tigers are the largest of the big cats and are exclusively found in Asia from India to Vietnam, from Indonesia to the Russian Far East. The tiger can be divided into 9 subspecies: 4 are currently critically endangered and 3 are already extinct. Though estimations of tiger populations only a few years ago was 5,500-6,000, today populations are likely closer to 3,500 and are still declining. Dramatic declines of the tiger in India, thought to host the majority of the world's tigers, have fallen to less than 1,411. Overall, the past decade has seen a 40% reduction in tiger habitat, which now represents a mere 7% of its historic range. Poaching is a significant problem throughout the tiger's range, the demand for its body parts in traditional medicines, tonics, and exotic dishes driving a lucrative trade that is wiping out entire populations. Long-term threats include habitat fragmentation and prey depletion, which is accelerating the tiger's demise and subsequently reducing the long-term genetic viability of many populations.

If you want to help, the best for you to do is to educate yourself (http://www.savethetigerfund.org/), never buy products made from tigers or endangered species (http://www.wildaid.org/), and tell others. Contact me for more information.