Three critically endangered Sumatran tigers have been found dead after being trapped on the Indonesian island of Sumatra in the latest failure of a species believed to have dropped to about 400, authorities said Monday.
A female and a male tiger were found dead Sunday with leg injuries caused by a trap near a palm oil plantation in East Aceh County, Aceh Province, said local police chief Hendra Sukman.
Another tiger woman’s body was found hours later, about 500 meters away, with a noose still embedded in her nearly severed neck and legs, he said.
Sukman said authorities have urged the community and plantation companies not to set traps in forest areas where wildlife can cross.
Traps are used by farmers, poachers
An autopsy was underway by a team of veterinarians to determine the cause of the tigers’ deaths, said Agus Arianto, who heads the Aceh Conservation Agency, noting that several traps similar to those used to catch the tigers had been found in the area. wild boars on farms. around the dead tigers.
Trap traps are commonly used by Sumatra farmers to catch wild boar, which are considered destructive pests with a wide and predatory appetite for various plants. However, poachers have also used snare traps to kill endangered wildlife for economic purposes.
A police officer and local wildlife authorities show the body of a Sumatran tiger found dead after being trapped. (Associated Press)
“We strongly condemn this incident and will cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation,” Arianto said in a statement.
Under Indonesia’s Natural Resources and Ecosystems Act, those who deliberately kill protected animals will face five years in prison and a fine of 100 million rupees ($ 8,800 Cdn).
The most critically endangered tiger subspecies
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, Sumatran tigers – the most critically endangered tiger subspecies – are under increasing pressure due to poaching and shrinking jungle habitat. It is estimated that less than 400 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild.
This was the last killing of endangered animals on the island of Sumatra. Conservationists say the coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase in poaching as villagers turn to hunting to supplement reduced incomes.
In October, a female tiger was found dead with trap injuries in the Bukit Batu wildlife trap in the Bengkalis area of Riau province, just two months after three tigers, including two small ones, were found dead in the Leuser ecosystem. a forested tiger conservation area in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra.
Ace police also arrested four men last June for allegedly trapping a tiger and selling its remains for 100 million rupees ($ 8,800 Cdn). Days later, another Sumatran tiger died after eating a goat loaded with rat poison in the neighboring province of North Sumatra.
An elephant died last November after losing half of its trunk in a trap set by poachers who hunt the endangered species.
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