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Conservation activists praise tiger capture

Officials and conservationists hope that the capture and evacuation of a Sumatran tiger in Riau can set an example for human-animal conflict prevention in the future

Rizal Harahap and Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post)
Pekanbaru/Jakarta
Wed, April 25, 2018

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Conservation activists praise tiger capture

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fficials and conservationists hope that the capture and evacuation of a Sumatran tiger in Riau can set an example for human-animal conflict prevention in the future.

The 4-year-old tiger named Bonita is suspected of killing two people in the Pelangiran district of Indragiri Hilir regency in January.

She was finally found on Friday after more than 100 days of searching by a joint team comprising members of Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), the Riau provincial government, the military, the police, non-governmental organizations, corporations and the public.

BKSDA head Suharyono said the team captured Bonita on Friday morning in an area owned by palm oil company PT Tabung Haji Indo Plantation (THIP).

The team incapacitated the tiger with two tranquilizer shots before putting her in a cage for evacuation to the Sumatran Tiger Rehabilitation Center, which is run by the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation in Dharmasraya, West Sumatra. The tiger was transported discreetly via river, with security personnel guarding the creature as locals have demanded that Bonita be killed.

Wiratno, the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s natural resources and ecosystem conservation director general, said that Bonita’s capture was the longest rescue effort in the history of animal conservation in Riau.

“It needed to be done because it is very important to save the Sumatran tiger. Right now, there are only 400 to 500 Sumatran tigers, 190 of which are in Riau,” he said.

Suharyono said the BKSDA hoped Bonita’s capture could be a starting point in its efforts to prevent conflicts between humans and wildlife in the future.

“There are still other tigers in the region that have not been known to attack humans,” he said. “We will continue to involve all parties in the effort to prevent tigers entering the plantation area.”

Wiratno echoed Suharyono’s comments, saying that the work of the joint team in addressing human-tiger conflicts in Pelangiran district should serve as an example for other regions.

“We really appreciate the performance of the joint team and we will maintain the report post and joint patrols in order to prevent future conflicts,” he said.

He added that the appearance of tigers in human settlements was caused by changes in forest function and negative human activities.

“Tigers are top predators that are part of a food chain; they will not disturb, much less enter, villages or plantations if the food sources in their habitats are not disrupted,” he said. “Bonita’s case will not be the last conflict in the region as long as there is still hunting, wrongful expulsion and food chain disruption.”

Catrini Pratihari Kubontuboh, executive director of the foundation, agreed, saying that improving public awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation was paramount.

“Maybe until now, [locals] thought that tigers that entered villages had to be hunted down and killed,” she said. “But thanks to extensive education and guidance, the community understands and supports relocation.”

Bonita also seemed to be a special case; Suharyono said that she often acted differently from other tigers. “Usually Sumatran tigers are afraid of and try to avoid human contact, but Bonita does not,” he said.

“She likes to walk on smooth paths instead of through the bushes. Even in the cage, she did not struggle like a wild animal normally would when it is confined.”

Catrini said that Bonita was taken to the rehabilitation center to determine the causes of the tiger’s abnormal behavior.

“A study into Bonita’s behavioral changes will be of great scientific importance because such a study has never been done before here. The results will be a great contribution to Indonesia and to the world.”

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