Govt to allow Sumatran tigers as pet

The government has unveiled plans to distribute permits to households to keep Sumatran tigers as pets in an effort to save the critically endangered species from extinction.

Director General for forest protection and nature conservation at the Forestry Ministry Darori said that under the plan, people who were interested in tigers as pet should deposit Rp1 billion (US$107,100) and pay annual tax to the government for tigers.

“We are still discussing regulation for the plan,” he said on the sidelines of workshop on conservation of the Sumatran tiger Wednesday.

He said that the ministry would verify eligible owners to check whether they had at least 5,000 square-meters of land for a tiger.

According to Darori, tigers would be taken from the breeding center in Lampung forest, set up by funding from a private company.

There are now four tigers at the center. Darori said that at least three people had written a letter of proposal to the ministry’s office to allow to keep tigers.

He admitted that a number of activists protested the plan on fears it would accelerate the extinction of the Sumatran tiger.

“But, we need a concrete move to protect them and cut the illegal trade of tigers,”

The ministry predicted there were currently only 500 tigers left spread over 18 areas in Sumatra including Leuser National Park.