The Bali tiger was the tiger population endemic to Bali that went extinct during the 20th century.
The Bali tiger lived only on the Indonesian island of Bali and was historically treated as a distinct subspecies, Panthera tigris balica. Modern tiger taxonomy places it within Panthera tigris sondaica, the Sunda Island tiger group, alongside the surviving Sumatran tiger and the extinct Javan tiger. “Bali tiger” remains the standard and fairest quiz answer.
The population declined as forests were converted to plantations and rice fields, while colonial-era hunting added intense pressure. The last confirmed Bali tiger was killed in 1937, although some accounts suggest that a few animals may have survived into the 1940s or possibly the 1950s.
Only a small number of museum specimens survive, including skins and skulls. The Bali tiger was smaller than many mainland tigers and held an important place in Balinese folklore, art, and protective traditions. It is commonly confused with the Sumatran tiger, which is still living and is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands.