Malayan Tiger Updated: April 8, 2018 Interpretation Guide Status Danger Threats SSP Yellow Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List) Their main threat to habitat loss is deforestation due to palm oil plantation and road development and poaching. Malaysia is a third-world country so a lot of people kill tigers and their prey to put on the black market just to make a living. Population 600-800 Captivity: 64 in U.S. zoos Distribution Malayan tigers are found only on the Malay Peninsula and in the southern tip of Thailand. Habitat Tropical moist broadleaf forests Diet Tigers mainly eat deer, wild pigs, water buffalo, and antelope. Tigers are also known to hunt sloth bears, dogs, leopards, crocodiles, and pythons as well as monkeys and hares. Old and injured tigers have been known to attack humans and domestic cattle. Zoo Knoxville: They eat mostly horsemeat as their regular diet. They get bones every Friday, which they are very enthusiastic about, and occasionally they get carcass during deer season. Size Length: Male: 8 feet; Female: 7 feet Weight: 220 264 pounds. Longevity Captivity: Social Family Units Tigers essentially live solitary lives, except during mating season and when females bear young. They are usually fiercely territorial and mark their large home ranges. Reproduction Mating season: In tropical climates, mostly from November to April; during the winter months in temperate regions. Gestation: 103 days Litter size: 3-4 cubs Cubs follow their mother out of the den at around 8 weeks and become independent at around 18 months of age. They leave their mothers at about 2½ years. Mothers guard their young from wandering males that may kill the cubs to make the female receptive to mating. Our Animals Brothers Tanvir (note the H on his face, dark eyebrow-like marks over eyes) and Bashir (look for the L s on his face, tear-drop markings over eyes) Female: Arya Scientific Name Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera Species: tigris jacksoni
Additional Information Our Malayan Tigers Bashir (Bash) Male Birth: March 21, 2009 Born at: Cincinnati Zoo Origin: Fort Worth Zoo Tanvir (Tan) Male Birth: March 21, 2009 Born at: Cincinnati Zoo Origin: San Diego Zoo Arya Female Birth: January 5, 2014 Born at: Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Fresno, Cal. Origin: Same Habitat Information Tiger Forest in the Boyd Family Asian Trek, opened April 7, 2017 Status Danger Threats Population Distribution Habitat Ecosystem Relationships: Predators: No natural enemies Interspecies competitors: Leopards Role/Niche: Alpha predator Diet Zoo Knoxville: Size
Longevity Captivity: Social Family Units Reproduction Animal Neighbors in the Wild Caring for Animals Enrichment Behaviors They can be seen with their ears back, their heads held high, the paws in place, and the teeth showing. These are all prime indicators that the tiger is ready to pounce on something that it has seen. If they are merely curious about other animals or tigers in the area, they will have their ears up and their tail held up high instead of the normal low-lying position. This shows that they are on alert but not feeling threatened at that time. Communication/Vocalization Roaring, chuffing, moaning, purring The tail has a scent gland that they may rub on each other as well. This type of communication is used to help them recognize each other. It can also be used by males and females should they decide to take part in mating with each other. There are also glands found between the toes that can leave scents as well. In fact, this is how the females will communicate to the males that they are in estrus, which is the frame of time when their bodies are ready to mate. Conservation Efforts by Zoo Knoxville Zoo Knoxville is actively involved in the Malayan Tiger Species Survival Plan. Did You Know? Zoo Knoxville s tigers are being trained to showcase more natural behaviors, such as attack, station, feeding pole, A s-b s (where they come and go to certain keepers), and open mouth. They already know the basic behaviors, such as sit, down, target, up, paws, and squeeze, and they are injection trained. They jump about 12 feet high, respond to target training using blood, like to play, and eat watermelons. They will eat everything. Malayan tigers were classified as Indochinese tigers until DNA testing in 2004 showed them to be a separate subspecies. Their Latin name Panthera tigris jacksoni honors Peter Jackson, the famous tiger conservationist.
Logging operations and road development pose big threats to Malayan tiger habitats. Conversion of forests to agriculture or commercial plantations results in frequent encounters between tigers and livestock. The cost to farmers can be high; livestock loss due to tigers is estimated to have cost more than $400,000 from 1993 2003 in Terengganu, one of the poorest areas in Peninsular Malaysia. In retaliation, tigers are often killed by authorities or angry villagers. Tigers killed as conflict animals often end up on the black market, creating a link between human-tiger conflict and poaching. In the early 1900s, there were around 100,000 tigers throughout their range. Today, an estimated total of around 3,000-4,500 exist in the wild. Below is a breakdown of tiger numbers by subspecies. Bengal tiger: Fewer than 2,000 Indochinese tiger: 750-1,300 Amur (Siberian) tiger: Around 450 Sumatran tiger: 400-500 Malayan tiger: 600-800 South Chinese tiger: Extinct in the wild Caspian tiger: Extinct Javan tiger: Extinct Bali tiger: Extinct Tigers are mostly nocturnal (more active at night) and are ambush predators that rely on the camouflage their stripes provide. Tigers use their body weight to knock prey to the ground and kill with a bite to the neck. They are also very good swimmers and have been known to kill prey while swimming. In early 2017, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimated an increase in the number of tigers worldwide, up to 3,890 in 2016 from an estimated 3,200 in 2010. But success to date is tenuous: According to a new report from WWF, tigers now face a threat far greater than many we ve tackled before: linear infrastructure. Biofacts Biofacts may be available for this species. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator for more information. SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN (SSP) The Species Survival Plan (SSP) is AZA s cooperative breeding and conservation program. Members agree to manage and exchange animals in the best interest of the species. The mission is to help ensure the survival of selected wildlife species. All SSP Programs fall into one of three categories. Here are some characteristics of each: GREEN These programs are the most sustainable over time. They have a published regional studbook. The populations can maintain a genetic diversity of >90% for 100 years or 10+ generations. These species are managed by at least three AZA member institutions. YELLOW These programs are potentially sustainable but need additional attention to increase sustainability. They have a published regional studbook. There are at least 50 animals in each population. The populations are not able to maintain at least 90% genetic diversity for 100 years or 10+ generations. They are managed by at least three AZA member institutions. RED These programs are not currently genetically sustainable. Additional animals are needed. They have a published regional studbook. Current populations include between 20 and 50 individuals in each program. They are managed by at least three AZA member institutions. CANDIDATE (PURPLE) These are animal programs that hope to grow into an SSP program. There are generally 19 or fewer animals in each program and/or they are held at only one or two institutions. They do not currently have a published regional studbook. FINAL NOTE Animal programs that manage species designated Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, or Endangered (see IUCN organization next page) do not need to meet minimum population
size and number of participating institutions criteria to be designated as an SSP Program. These SSP Programs need only to have a published AZA Regional Studbook and three defined goals. INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES (IUCN) For the past 50 years this organization has assessed the conservation status of species, subspecies, and varieties around the world. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List) provides information and analyses on the status, trends, and threats to species in order to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation. Some 79,800 species have been assessed; the organization s goal is to assess a total of 160,000 species by 2020. This includes vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fungi and other species groups. Much more information can be found at www.iucnredlist.org. Assessed species are placed in one of nine categories, for which certain criteria must be met by a species to be placed in a specific category. This information is available on the website. These are brief descriptions: EXTINCT (EX): There is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW): Survivors exist only in cultivation, in captivity, or as a naturalized population well outside its native range. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR): The species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. ENDANGERED (EN): The species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. VULNERABLE (VU): The species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. NEAR THREATENED (NT): The species is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future. LEAST CONCERN (LC): The species does not meet any of the criteria for any of the endangered categories. There are widespread and abundant populations. DATA DEFICIENT (DD): Information is not sufficient to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of the risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status. NOT EVALUATED (NE): The species has not been evaluated against the criteria.