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The Sumatran TigerIndonesia was once home to three subspecies of tiger. Today, only the Sumatran tiger remains, Pantera Tigris Sumatrae. The Bali tiger succumbed to extinction in the 1950s and the Javan tiger shortly after in the 1970s. The Sumatran tiger, estimated to number less than 500 individuals, has begun to circle the abyss. As the last tiger in Indonesia, highly symbolic of the nation’s biodiversity, this species has undeniable stature. Failure to save it would be the ultimate defeat, while protecting it provides some hope that effective conservation can still be achieved against the tide of Indonesia’s huge sociological and ecological pressures.The Sumatran tiger is unique in many ways:
It is the smallest tiger subspecies; it lives in an area of extraordinary
biodiversity, albeit one suffering from severe human encroachment; it
is the only tiger that lives on an island; and it is only one of two
subspecies that lives entirely within one country, the other being the
South China tiger. These factors combine to favor the Sumatran tiger
with many of the necessary ingredients for long-term survival. Yet,
while clearly supportive of tiger conservation, the Indonesian government’s
priorities remain the political, social and economic stabilization of
this vast and diverse country, home to more than 225 million people.
NGOs, like The Tiger Foundation, can, and often do, play an important
supportive role, one clearly appreciated and enthusiastically supported
by the country’s many under-funded government agencies.  click for more 
 
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