Rare tiger rescued from poachers snare

An official showing one of the wounds found on a trapped Sumatran tiger in the jungle in Muara Aman. Photo courtesy: AFP PHOTO / Nature Conservation Agency

A rare Sumatran tiger was discovered caught in a poachers snare and covered with arrow wounds on the island of Sumatra. The tiger was discovered by a team from the local wildlife conservation organisation Bengkulu’s Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA). The tiger was in the protected forest area and is one of a believed 40 Sumatran tigers that live in the province.

The tiger was a 5 year old male and was close to death when found. It was lying on the ground with one leg caught in a wire snare attached to a tree branch. There was also 9 arrow wounds on the tiger which were up to 4 days old.

They use steel wire to trap it by the leg so it doesn’t destroy its body. These traps are designed for tigers, not the wild boars that the community here hunt.

Snared tiger attacked by scared villagers.

BKSDA head Supartono explained that it is believed the arrow wounds were administered to the tiger by local residents after it had been caught in the snare. He said that locals may have become frightened of the tiger and shot at it with arrows.

Last year saw seven incidents between tigers and humans in Bengkulu region on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The latest was the killing of a 5 year old girl by a tiger in November 2011. The girl, Fitria binti Judin, had been playing with her sisters outside their house when they were attacked by a tiger.

Poaching gang targeting local tigers.

Supartono explained that his team had discovered a number of wire snares in the region over the last few months and his department and the police were actively seeking the poaching gang believed to be operating in the area.

“They use steel wire to trap it by the leg so it doesn’t destroy its body. These traps are designed for tigers, not the wild boars that the community here hunt.” Supartono said.