Warsan, A local farmer reportedly witnessed two tiger cubs at his rubber plantation near Tanah Datar Village, Riau.
As he tried approaching the cubs to verify his sightings, a large tiger appeared from out of the bush. Warsan reported the incident to Dwi Rismawati, the Head of the Village who further investigated, but found no tigers around the vicinity. “People are still afraid to go to their gardens. Similar claims were made by people from the neighbouring village,” she mentioned on Thursday. Dwi advised the villagers to be more alert and avoid travelling alone, especially while making their way to the plantations.
The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency ( BKSDA) has reportedly set up surveillance cameras around the area to monitor the tigers. Dian, a spokesperson from BKSDA mentions that while they are yet to find traces of the incident, they aim to locate and monitor the tigers to avoid conflicts with local residents. The conservation agency remains committed to protect them from deforestation and excessive poaching. The Sumatran tiger has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Picture: The Jakarta Post