Meet the amazing cat species that live alongside the Sumatran tiger in the Bukit Tigapuluh Ecosystem in Sumatra!
When you support Sumatran tigers and their forest homes, you’re also helping to protect every species that lives alongside them. From their prey, to orangutans and elephants…and these incredible forest cats!
To monitor Sumatran tigers, we place trail cameras hidden deep in the forest. And the bonus is, we capture photos and videos of so many animals. For example, in the past couple of months, trail cameras have captured 22 medium-large mammals species, like the southern pig-tailed macaque, muntjac (barking deer), and Malayan porcupine.
Plus, here’s the best part, our team has successfully identified five Felidae species (also commonly known as cats) that share the same forest home as tigers in Sumatra.
Meet the Sumatran Felidae family:
Sunda Clouded Leopard
The Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) is a medium sized wild cat, native to Borneo and Sumatra. It’s classified as a Vulnerable species, with its population numbers sadly in decline.
Leopard Cat
The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild cat, roughly the same size as a domestic cat. It has distinct stripes on its head, and black spots over its body. Although not considered Endangered, it does face the daily threats of habitat loss and poaching.
Asiatic Golden Cat
The Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is a medium sized wild cat, native to India, Southeast Asia and China. It is also listed as Vulnerable, and facing the loss of its forest home. It's identifiable by its reddish-brown, or golden, fur. Here’s a bonus video of one caught on camera at night time.
Marbled Cat
The marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), closely related to Asiatic golden cat, is classified as Near Threatened, with its population in decline. Similar in size to a domestic cat, it has rounded ears and a very long tail, almost as long as its entire body! It’s hard to see in this photo, so here’s a quick little video snippet of one wandering through the forest.
Sumatran Tiger
The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris) is the most threatened of the cat species in the Bukit Tigapuluh forest home, facing Extinction.
But that’s why you’re here! Every action you take, you give tigers a fighting chance. You help protect their forest homes from destruction (and keep all cat species alive too), stop poachers, and send help when tigers' lives hang in the balance.
We cannot thank you enough for being here, and for giving tigers, and all wild cats, the chance to live wild, safe and free in flourishing forests. Your support has a ripple effect, and you should be proud knowing that with your help, these cats won’t face the same dire situation as Sumatran tigers: facing Extinction. Thank you for everything.
Program name: Wildlife Protection Unit
Location: Bukit Tigapuluh (BTP), Sumatra, Indonesia
Program Partner: This program is a collaboration with our FZS partners, and the Ministry of Forestry 🌳