Sumatran tigers live in diverse habitats, including sub-mountain and mountain forests, lowland forests, and peat forests.

The Sumatran tiger is the last surviving member of the Sunda Islands tiger group, which also included the extinct Bali and Javan tigers. These tigers are the smallest of all tiger subspecies, a size that helps them manoeuvre through the dense tropical forests where they hunt. As solitary hunters, they are well adapted to ambush tactics, using their striped coats to blend into the forest's dappled light. Sumatran tigers prey on wild boar, deer, birds, fish, and tapirs, often waiting patiently to strike.

Southeast Asia has the highest concentration of endangered species globally, and the Sumatran tiger is one of them. The tragic extinction of the Bali tiger in the 1940s has highlighted the need for conservation efforts. Fota Wildlife Park is actively involved in supporting the protection of tigers through the 21st Century Tiger poaching prevention programme in Sumatra, a part of their commitment to global tiger conservation.

The Sumatran tiger is the first tiger species to be housed at Fota Wildlife Park, out of the eight recognised tiger subspecies. These subspecies are distinguished by geographic distribution, size, coat length, thickness, and striping patterns. The five surviving subspecies include the Bengal, Amur, Indo-Chinese, Sumatran, and South China tigers.

The Tiger Forest at Fota Wildlife Park is the inaugural phase of the park's Asian Sanctuary, which spans an additional 27 acres. Since 2014, two tiger cubs have been born in the park.