Sumatran Tigers in Crisis

Tigers are in crisis around the globe. With three subspecies of tigers having disappeared from the face of the earth in the last century, tiger numbers and habitat range have decreased on an ecological scale not seen since the end of the dinosaurs. The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), saying farewell to two of its closest cousins in the last fifty years - the Javan and Bali tiger - now roams alone in the forests of Indonesia. From approximately 10,000 tigers at the turn of the last century, the population of Sumatran tiger is now comprised of perhaps less than 500 individuals, distributed precariously across a mosaic of fragmented and diminishing forest. These remnants of Sumatra's once vast jungles can hold only small tiger populations, yet they are all that we have and must be managed and protected accordingly. At present, only a relatively small percentage of these forests are officially protected, and even then this is done ineffectually. Habitat loss, and the small size of the fragments of forest that remain, are not the only challenges that the tiger must face. Conflicts between tigers and humans as well as their livestock are one more problem that often leads to retaliatory poisoning and trapping of tigers. It is important to note that by protecting the Sumatran tiger, we will also be proteccting many other animals that live in the same forests.

The tiger has a great profile in the collective consciousness of the Indonesian people, both at the heart of much folklore and spirituality, and as a present day embodiment of all that is wild. However, the paradox is that, whilst the tiger is at once revered and admired, it continues to be mercilessly hunted for its valuable coat and body parts. The economic imperatives of Sumatra's impoverished population inevitably lead an ever-growing number of villagers to seek sustenance and income from wild areas, even from Sumatra's national parks. Increased vigilance, education and protection are urgently needed.

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