The Sumatran Tiger

The Sumatran tiger is a population of Panthera tigris sondaica that inhabits the island of Sumatra , Indonesia and is the only member of the Sunda tiger subspecies that still survives today. It is included in the classification of critically endangered animals on the red list of threatened species released by the IUCN World Conservation Organization . The wild population is estimated to be between 400-500 individuals, mainly living in the Bukit Barisan Mountains during the history of pre-historic national parks in Sumatra . Recent genetic testing has revealed unique genetic signatures, indicating that this subspecies may evolve into a separate species, if it survives successfully. Habitat destruction is the greatest threat to the population today. Logging continues even in national parks that are supposed to be protected. It was recorded that 66 Sumatran tigers were killed between 1998 and 2000. In 2017, the Cat Specialist Group's Cat Classification Task Force revised cat taxonomy so that Indonesia's living and extinct tiger populations are now classified as P. t. sondaica.