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Man-eating Sumatran tigers relocated from Aceh to Lampung
Conservationists on Friday airlifted five man-eating tigers from Aceh to the South Bukit Barisan National Park in Lampung, ending an eight-month quarantine period for the animals
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Conservationists on Friday airlifted five man-eating tigers from Aceh to the South Bukit Barisan National Park in Lampung, ending an eight-month quarantine period for the animals.
The Sumatran tigers were caught by residents in South Aceh regency after they had killed and mauled a number of humans, including farmers working in a forest clearing.
The relocation was carried out using a chartered Hercules aircraft by Taman Safari and the Aceh chapter of the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA).
The safari park management chose the Lampung national park for its ample food supply and because it offers better conditions for the animals to be monitored, said safari park director Tommy Sumampauw, who lead the expedition.
"It is not possible to release them back into the forest in Aceh," he told the media.
"Now, many tigers have descended on settlements and mauled people."
Veterinary team head Dr. Retno Sudarwati said medical checkups the tigers underwent showed they were in good health, but that some had tumors.
"We have taken their blood samples and are waiting for the results of the tests from the lab in Jakarta," Retno said.
The veterinary team from the safari park also fitted the animals with GPS homing devices.
"We hope the devices will reveal their whereabouts when they are in their new habitat," Retno said.
The rate of tiger attacks on humans in Aceh has increased dramatically of late due to depleting forest areas, International Flora and Fauna (FFI) communications officer Dewa Gumay said.
"Much of the tiger's habitat has changed function. This is the main cause for the conflicts," Dewa said.
The two main tiger habitat zones in Aceh -- the Lauser Ecosystem Zone and Ulu Masen -- have shrunk with the expansion of farmland.
According to Aceh BKSDA and FFI data, 10 human-tiger conflicts have occurred across seven regencies in Aceh in the last year, resulting in many tiger deaths.
In 1992, 400 Sumatran tigers roamed five national parks in Sumatra, including 110 at the Mount Leuser National Park.
The number has since dropped dramatically due to unchecked logging and forest conversion.
