Sumatran tiger behind attacks on farmers in Indonesia captured
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Fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers are believed to remain in the wild.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BANDA ACEH, Indonesia – A Sumatran tiger believed to have attacked and injured farmers
It comes after two separate tiger attacks in the same Sumatran town over the past week left at least four people seriously injured.
The animal entered a trap set by conservationists inside a forest reserve early on Saturday in the town of Kluet Tengah in southern Aceh.
It was found to have several wounds on its body.
“One of the victims said he injured the animal when he was being attacked and was defending himself. There are several wounds on the tiger’s body, including on its face, neck and leg,” Mr Agus Rianto, head of Aceh’s conservation agency, said.
A picture taken by police showed the big cat lying inside a cage with a gaping wound on its face.
A major hunt for the tiger was launched last week after four locals were attacked inside a reserve in Kluet Tengah, leaving one of them in critical condition.
Soldiers, conservation officials and firefighters were all deployed for the search.
Several days later, two farmers working illegally inside the same protected forest were also attacked and seriously injured.
Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with fewer than 400 believed to remain in the wild.
They are often targeted by poachers, while rampant deforestation has significantly reduced their habitat.
Mr Rianto said the captured tiger will undergo medical treatment and will be released in a nearby national park once it has recovered from its injuries. AFP
