There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
I assume that most of us saw 'The Lion King'. Great movie that most certainly had an effect on public opinion. Excellent, as lions can use every kind of support these days.
Tigers also have kings. Korea had one (referring to the movie released a few years ago) and the Chinese (see the series on Chinese tigers in this thread) also saw a few in central parts of China in the sixties of the last century.
India no doubt has a number of tigers that would qualify, but what about southeast Asia and Sumatra?
I found nothing on king tigers in Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, but last Saturday (December 9, 2017), I found a smallish report (written by Lucas Brouwers) and this great photograph in a Dutch newspaper (NRC Handelsblad).
This male tiger was caught by a cameratrap somewhere in 2014:
*This image is copyright of its original author
Lucas Brouwers wrote there are about 200 cameras in Sumatra. Biologists use the pictures for research. Here's a few conclusions:
1 - Sumatra only has two healthy populations.
2 - In 2000, Sumatra had 394-1090 tigers. Today, it has 328-908 tigers.
3 - Although the total number of tigers has decreased, the remaining forests have more tigers per square km.
4 - The biggest threat for Sumatran tigers is habitat destruction. Palm oil.
The newspaper said Matthew Scot Luskin is responsible for the photograph. One of the best I saw.