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Habitat loss pushes Sumatran tiger out of forests, into conflicts with humans
Habitat loss and conflicts with humans continue to pose a threat to the Sumatran tiger, especially in South Sumatra, where four remaining natural habitats are shrinking because of deforestation, according to the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) Indonesia program.
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Increasingly homeless: The Sumatran tiger (AFP/Gil Cohen Magen)
Habitat loss and conflicts with humans continue to pose a threat to the Sumatran tiger, especially in South Sumatra, where four remaining natural habitats are shrinking because of deforestation, according to the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) Indonesia program.
ZSL’s tiger conservation project manager Yoan Dinata said South Sumatra had suffered deforestation since the 1970s as the forests were mostly located in lowlands with easy access for people to use them for agriculture and human settlements.
Primary forests that are natural habitats for tigers in South Sumatra, according to ZSL, now remain in four areas: the Sembilang National Park, some parts of Harapan Forest, Bukit Jambul Patah Nanti Forest and Bukit Dingin Mountain – the latter two are part of the larger Rejang area that extends into neighboring Bengkulu province. The four natural habitats are among a total of 23 areas suitable for Sumatran tigers across Sumatra Island.
“These four forests must be saved,” Yoan said.
Deforestation had also intensified conflicts between humans and tigers and increased the risk of extinction of the Sumatran tiger, as its population dwindles, Yoan said.
Five people died in at least seven Sumatran tiger attacks in the southern part of South Sumatra in less than two months in late 2019.
