One of the most beautiful creatures on the planet, this stunning Sumatran Tiger was photographed at Melbourne Zoo.

I remember spending some time on a short boardwalk that provides a viewing platform for the tiger enclosure. As I was taking some snaps, a zookeeper came out to give a presentation about the tigers to the small crowd of people that had gathered. I was half-listening, while trying to get the perfect shot as the tiger snaked stealthily in and out of the trees and shrubbery, but one line caught my attention.

“There will be more people that walk across this boardwalk today than there are Sumatran Tigers left in the wild.”

It is a testament to the failures of humanity that there are less than 400 wild Sumatran Tigers remaining on our planet.

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Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica), Melbourne Zoo, Australia