ID :
47627
Wed, 02/25/2009 - 23:04
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/47627
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THREE TIGERS KILLED IN CONFLICT WITH HUMANS IN RIAU
Pekanbaru, Riau, Feb. 25 (ANTARA) - Three Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) were found dead in Riau Province in the past two weeks following a conflict between the wild animals and local villagers.
"Within two weeks, three tigers have died due to conflict with local residents," Syamsidar, a spokesman of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Riau, said here on Tuesday.
Syamsidar said two tigers were found dead in a trap set up by villagers at Tanjung Pasar, Pelasiran Sub district, Indragiri Hilir District, on February 10, 2009.
The third one was killed by local villagers at the same location as the previous two, on February 16, 2009, he said.
The incidents marked the worst conflict ever between tigers and humans in Riau this year.
Syamsidar said he was worried that the conflict would threaten the survival of Sumatran tigers which were already an endangered species.
The location where the three dead tigers were found, was still within the home range of Sumatran tigers in Indragiri Hilir District, Riau Province, he said.
Tigers were forced to find food in human settlement areas as their habitat was dwindling, he said.
Last Sunday (Feb. 22), two residents of Simpang Gaung village, Indragiri Hilir District, were attacked by a tiger.
"We regret the incident because Sumatran tigers are protected and killing them is not allowed despite the conflict," he said.
The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) has sent a three-member team to help solve the human-tiger conflict in Indragiri Hilir.
"We will solve the conflict in the area soon," Rahman Siddik, head of the Riau BBKSDA, said here on Wednesday.
The Sumatran tiger is critically endangered according to the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), with approximately 400-500 individuals surviving in the wild, and is the last surviving subspecies of tiger in Indonesia.
Primary threats to the Sumatran tiger include habitat loss, poaching for the illegal trade in skins and traditional medicines, decline in prey species due to hunting, the limited extent and high fragmentation of protected areas, and often fatal conflict with humans.
"Within two weeks, three tigers have died due to conflict with local residents," Syamsidar, a spokesman of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Riau, said here on Tuesday.
Syamsidar said two tigers were found dead in a trap set up by villagers at Tanjung Pasar, Pelasiran Sub district, Indragiri Hilir District, on February 10, 2009.
The third one was killed by local villagers at the same location as the previous two, on February 16, 2009, he said.
The incidents marked the worst conflict ever between tigers and humans in Riau this year.
Syamsidar said he was worried that the conflict would threaten the survival of Sumatran tigers which were already an endangered species.
The location where the three dead tigers were found, was still within the home range of Sumatran tigers in Indragiri Hilir District, Riau Province, he said.
Tigers were forced to find food in human settlement areas as their habitat was dwindling, he said.
Last Sunday (Feb. 22), two residents of Simpang Gaung village, Indragiri Hilir District, were attacked by a tiger.
"We regret the incident because Sumatran tigers are protected and killing them is not allowed despite the conflict," he said.
The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) has sent a three-member team to help solve the human-tiger conflict in Indragiri Hilir.
"We will solve the conflict in the area soon," Rahman Siddik, head of the Riau BBKSDA, said here on Wednesday.
The Sumatran tiger is critically endangered according to the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), with approximately 400-500 individuals surviving in the wild, and is the last surviving subspecies of tiger in Indonesia.
Primary threats to the Sumatran tiger include habitat loss, poaching for the illegal trade in skins and traditional medicines, decline in prey species due to hunting, the limited extent and high fragmentation of protected areas, and often fatal conflict with humans.
