Sumatran tigers still in grave danger: Conservation group

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 02/14/2008 11:56 AM  |  Headlines

Indonesia has not stopped the rapid decline of the endangered Sumatran tiger and body parts of the cats were still being sold at retail outlets, a 2006 study released Wednesday said.

The British-based TRAFFIC conservation group also said Sumatran tiger's teeth, claws, skin, whiskers and bones were available to purchase in 10 percent of the 326 retail outlets they surveyed across 28 towns in Sumatra.

The study was conducted in 2006 but released Wednesday.

It said at least 23 tigers were killed in 2006 to meet demands for canine teeth sales.

Julia Ng, program officer with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, said in the report: "This is down from an estimate that 52 tigers were killed per year in 1999-2000".

"Sadly, the decline in availability appears to be due to the dwindling number of tigers left in the wild."

TRAFFIC is a joint program between the World Wild Fund (WWF) and the World Conservation Union.

The Sumatran tiger is the world's most critically endangered tiger species and fewer than 400 were believed left in the wild, WWF said.

TRAFFIC said it had provided data of traders allegedly involved in illegal sales to the Indonesian government.

"It is not clear whether any serious law enforcement has been taken," Julia said.

She warned the Sumatran tigers would disappear like the Javan and Bali big cats if trade was not stopped.

WWF International director for species program Susan Lieberman said successive surveys also showed the body parts of Sumatran tigers were being sold into extinction.

"This is a law enforcement crisis. If Indonesian authorities need enforcement help from the international community, they should ask for it. If not, they should demonstrate they are serious about dealing with it."

Forestry Ministry director of biodiversity conservation Tonny Soehartono said the report should be investigated.

He said it needed to be determined if the illegal products being sold were Sumatran tiger parts and wanted to know if "DNA tests" had been conducted.

He said the government had intensified efforts against illegal wildlife trade.

"The TRAFFIC report is not balanced. The fact is that we work hard to protect Sumatran tigers," he told The Jakarta Post.

He said the government had set up a tiger conservationist group to count the Sumatran tiger population.

In December last year during the UN climate change conference in Bali, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched action plans to protect Sumatran tigers and orangutans.

The Indonesian government has long come under pressure from the international community to protect the orangutan species and prevent rampant trafficking.

Over the last 35 years, the country has lost about 50,000 orangutans due to their shrinking habitat as well as illegal trafficking.

Forest fires and land clearings were an additional threat to the orangutan population.

The Forestry Ministry said forest deforestation had led to the death of 3,000 orangutans annually since the 1970s.

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