Indonesia Wildlife Conservation Program

Kompas Thursday, May 29, 2008 | 22:44 pm

MEDAN, THURSDAY - The number of individuals Sumatran tiger (tigris sumatrae Phantera) adults who are still alive in its natural habitat currently estimated at only 250 heads. This was said by the Coalition of Protected Wildlife Monitoring.

"The results from the various agencies estimate the number of minimum adult Sumatran tiger that lives wild only live about 250 tails longer," Rido said, one member of the coalition of the Orangutan Conservation Services Program (OCSP) in Medan, on Thursday (29 / 5). He said hundreds tail of protected wildlife is fragmented in approximately 18 population and the majority of the population scattered in the Leuser Ecosystem Area and Kerinci Seblat National Park.

The main cause of decreasing the amount of the one sub-species of tigers are still alive from the three sub-species that once belonged to Indonesia was caused by hunting is done systematically by the wildlife trade syndicates. Today the price of tiger skins and tiger body parts pieces such as skin, tusks, bones, nails and so on high value, so that the perpetrators of the local community to move the beast hunting.

"A tiger skin ranges from three to five million rupiah per share, whereas in the international market worth about U.S. $ 3300 (Rp33 million). The people have only a small part and not infrequently they were given an advance for the hunt," he said.

In addition, forest clearing is done locals also cause conflict between humans and tigers, so the animals always lost and the victim even though the animal is protected by law.

"Although there has been 5 years of Law No. 1990 on the Conservation of Biological Resources and Ecosystems, but the tiger still become victims, including when the resident opened the forest areas for the needs of people living after the previous conflict," he said.

Meanwhile, in the last five months of Central Natural Resources Conservation (BKSDA) North Sumatra have confiscated two Sumatran tigers still alive the tail of the eight protected animals in the city of Binjai in a raid conducted Forest Police Unit Rapid Response (SPORC).

Then the skin of a Sumatran tiger that comes from the part of the Southeast Aceh Police Resort Tanah Karo after police pejualan discomfit Sumatran tiger skin in one area of the Three Binanga inn, Sub Tigabinanga, Karo District.

"Both these cases are still in the process pemberkasan and immediately transferred to the court," said Forest BKSDA Special controller of North Sumatra, Fitri Noor.