Sumatran Tiger
When asked why he chose the Sumantran Tiger, Tischler responded that he did not choose the piece. Rather, the piece chose him. He spent a lot of time observing animals and their natural behavior through his conservation work, and his wife is a zoo veterinarian, so he gets plenty of opportunity to see them up close, too. He has chosen to only create bronze sculptures of animals and he sees it not as just a career, but an obsession. He hopes that his art will stimulate a greater awareness of, interest in, and appreciation for these animals, and the important work of Cameron Park Zoo.
By Tom Tischler
Tom Tischler had an obsession with wildlife as a child and later as an adult he gained useful knowledge of taxonomy and anatomy in Switzerland at the Zoological Museum of Zurich, Swiss Foundation of Alpine Research and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Switzerland.
He then spent 4 years working in Africa for the Ethiopian Conservation Organization helping to establish their national parks and reserves. Inspired by his time in Ethiopia, Tom Tischler began his first sculpture.
Tischler currently resides in Perth, Western Australia where he works in his studio and travels extensively. He only completes a few originals each year, as bronze is a time-consuming process, however a limited number of castings are made of his work, using the Lost Wax process. His ability to portray each species in a natural and lifelike manner is a characteristic feature of his works. Each sculpture is influenced by his time spent working alongside, sketching, and photographing animals.
View all sculptures by this artist.Did You Know?
- The Sumatran Tiger is the smallest and darkest tiger. It also tends to be more bearded and maned that other tiger subspecies.
- It is estimated that there are 400-500 individual tigers living in the wild in Sumatra in isolated pockets of protected lands.
- In the wild, a tiger can live 15-20 years.
- Sumatran Tigers hunt when night falls and usually eat deer, boar, cattle, and monkeys.
- These tigers are mainly solitary and very protective of their territories.
- Due to deforestation, Sumatran Tigers often have to travel up to 18 miles to find food.
At The Zoo
Cameron Park Zoo has an active breeding program for tigers, which is part of Worldwide conservation efforts to protect these endangered animals. Look out for the enrichment items in the tiger enclosure. The zoo goes to great lengths to make sure that its animals are relaxed, happy and never bored. Content animals are healthy animals.
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