Where did the Bali Tiger Live

The Bali Tiger (Panthera tigris balica) is one of the tiger subspecies that once thrived, as its name suggests, on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the last confirmed Bali tiger was shot in 1937, and the population had vanished by the 1940s or 1950s. It was one of the first subspecies of the tiger to disappear. The Java tiger and the Caspian tiger followed it between 1960 and 1990.

Fascinated by this vanished big cat, we decided to write an article entirely dedicated to it, to present it to you and pay it homage. 🐯

What caused the tiger to disappear? Many factors, such as the island's small size, growing urbanization that reduced its territory and the number of prey in the wild, deforestation, poaching, and many others.

Whether it is its physical characteristics, diet, habitat, or exact reasons for its disappearance, you will know everything there is to know about this intriguing, striped animal. Moreover, if you like the tiger, you have probably already wanted to decorate your apartment with a frame, a tiger statue, or a hanging showing this striking animal.

You will find a wide range of tiger decorations by clicking on the image below. And now, let's begin.

Characteristics of the Bali Tiger

The Bali tiger differed from its fellow tigers mainly by its small size, its habitat, and also a little by its physical appearance. It looked a lot like the Sumatran tiger, which still lives on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

In 1912, Ernst Schwarz described it as a separate subspecies because its skull was smaller and its fur brighter than those of the Javan tiger, but since 2017 the IUCN Cat Specialist Group has grouped the Bali, Javan and Sumatran tigers into one subspecies, Panthera tigris sondaica. Let's look at all these characteristics without further ado.

Physical appearance

Although similar to its tiger cousins in its overall appearance and short fur of the same color as the latter, we can differentiate it on a few points. Its stripes had fewer black bands, with small and rather discreet black spots between them. ✨

The head of the Bali tiger also had a pattern specific to its subspecies. Finally, their belly was covered in white fur that stood out more than on any other tiger, thanks to the very dark orange fur on top.

Size and Weight of the Indonesian Fawn

The Bali tiger was considered the smallest tiger in the Indonesian islands. In the 20th century, only seven skins and skulls of Bali tigers were known to be kept in museums.

The common feature of all these skulls was the narrow occipital plane, which was a recurrent skull shape in the Javanese tiger. Male skins were 220-230 cm long from head to tail tip. Females ranged in size from 190 to 210 cm.

The weight of the males varied from 90 to 100 kg, and that of the females from 65 to 80 kg. In addition to being considered the smallest Tiger, it was considered the lightest tiger subspecies with a weight comparable to that of an African leopard or a North American cougar. To compare it with the larger subspecies, see our article on how much a tiger weighs.

Breeding

The reproduction of the Bali tiger was very similar to that of other tigers, with a gestation period of the female Tiger ranging from 100 to 110 days. As in other tigers, females probably bred only every two years or so, with litters averaging 2 to 4 cubs. Tiger families and cubs also appear among our tiger figurines.

What does the Bali Tiger eat?

Bali tigers were large carnivores and ate meat. The prey of the Bali tiger was very varied. It could find deer, wild boar (even wild pigs), monkeys, lizards, and wild chickens on the island. In all, its diet was very similar to that of other tigers.🦌

The Habitat of the Bali Tiger

Bali tigers lived in the island's forested areas, a territory ultimately quite small (as a reminder, the island of Bali has an area of 5,632.86 km2, equivalent to an average French department), which considerably limited their movements.

Most of the known zoological specimens of Bali tigers are native to the west of the island, where there are mangrove forests, dunes, and savanna vegetation.🌳

Why did the Bali Tiger go extinct?

Bali tigers were solitary animals that gathered only to breed. Like other tigers, each probably held a home range whose size depended on how much prey was available. Since they lived on a small island, it's easy to see why these tigers were already limited even before humans intervened.

Unfortunately, human intervention still did so much damage that it wiped the species off the map. During the colonial period, the Dutch came to the island and caused a tremendous population loss because of their hunting methods. But before that, the natives of the island also frequently hunted them because they were perceived as a great threat.

Several distinct reasons led to the extinction of the Bali tiger. The small size of the island combined with the large hunting radius that the tiger needed to feed was probably the most relevant reason. 😐

In addition, the increase in human habitat and the hunting of the tiger contributed to its extinction. Mass agriculture (such as palm planting and rice paddies) is also a big part of it.

So there are no tigers left on the island of Bali?

The last known Bali tiger was killed on September 27, 1937, to be precise. It was a female. And, it is believed that the species itself survived for another ten to twenty years after this incident before becoming extinct. Today, it is estimated that there are no longer any Bali tigers, either on their native island or in captivity.

Unfortunately, all of the threats that the Bali tiger has experienced are still present for the roughly 3,700 to 5,600 tigers left in the wild today and could, if left unchecked, lead to the extinction of these subspecies and then to the tiger species itself. To see where those tigers live today, read where the largest tiger population is.

You can also browse our collection of tiger clothes by clicking on the image below. 🤩