We are home to two Sumatran tigers, Padme and Carrie! The beautiful sisters joined Paignton Zoo in December 2020 from a zoo in Denmark, where they were born in February 2019.
The smallest of the tiger subspecies, Sumatran tigers are native to mixed tropical forests and mangrove swamps on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
They are top predators with a carnivorous diet, preying on monkeys, fish, deer and wild boar.
Interesting facts!
- Sumatran tigers are typical felines and like to conserve energy, so they sleep for up to 18 hours a day!
- Chuffing, snarling, hissing and growling are all vocalisations used by Sumatran tigers to communicate.
- This species’ stripes are closer together on a darker orange fur than other tiger subspecies like the Amur or Bengal tiger. This stripe marking is said to assist the Sumatran tiger in camouflaging better in their forest habitat.
- After a gestation period of around 100 days, a female tiger gives birth to a litter of one to six cubs.
Conservation
Destruction of their forest habitat for unsustainable palm oil plantations and hunting are serious threats to this Critically Endangered species. Hunting tigers in Indonesia is strictly prohibited, and many of the remaining wild Sumatran tigers live in protected areas such as national parks.
There is an important EAZA ex-situ breeding programme (EEP) for Sumatran tigers across Europe that is managed by ZSL London Zoo. Our tigers Carrie and Padme are currently too young to breed, but will be vital individuals for the EEP in the future.
The last Sumatran tiger born at Paignton Zoo in 2016, Lucu, moved to Edinburgh Zoo in November 2020 to be paired with a female as part of the EEP.
Adopt a tiger
Adopting a tiger at Paignton Zoo will make a real contribution to the care of our big cats and wildlife conservation work across the world.
Our adoption packs make a fantastic gift for animal lovers of any age. Prices start from as little as £25 per year (that’s less than £3 a month!) with a variety of packs to choose from.