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Jambi celebrates Global Tiger Day 2018 with car-free streets
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Gadis, a Sumatran tiger that has had one of her paws amputated, is seen at the Barumun Nagari Wildlife Sanctuary in Padang Lawas Utara, North Sumatra, in November 2016. (AFP/Gatha Ginting)
G
lobal Tiger Day 2018 was observed with a Car Free Day event on Sunday in the province of Jambi, one of the few places on Earth where the Sumatran Tiger may still be found.
The event was aimed at promoting the conservation of the critically endangered species, the only tiger subspecies left in Indonesia.
Under the theme Kearifan Lokal untuk Harimau Sumatra (local wisdom for the Sumatran tiger), Jambi commemorated the day with several events, including a coloring competition and tiger-face painting for children. The annual event aims to increase people’s awareness for tiger conservation.
“Through the commemoration of Global Tiger Day, we remind ourselves that we have to participate in conservation efforts for the Sumatran tiger, so that it won’t disappear,” Andrew, a resident of Jambi, told news agency Antara.
Conservation activists are urging Indonesian authorities not to lose the country’s last tiger subspecies, after both the Javan tiger and the Balinese tiger have already died out.
Read also: Sumatran tiger captured after 100 days of hunting
Factors threatening the animal include deforestation, poaching and conflicts with humans.
According to the latest data from the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s Directorate General of Ecosystem and Natural Resources Conservation, the current population of the Sumatran tiger is estimated at 400 individuals, making it a critically endangered species. The animal is also on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement between governments to make sure that international trade of animals and plants does not jeopardize their lives, has prohibited hunting of the Sumatran tiger. (wir/wng)
