Foreign role suspected in tiger trade<\/p>\n
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau<\/p>\n
Six animal poachers and brokers were apprehended recently in
\nIndragiri Hulu regency with two dead Sumatran tigers in their
\npossession.<\/p>\n
It is thought the tigers were captured in Bukit Tigapuluh
\nNational Park in Riau province.<\/p>\n
The increased hunting of Sumatran tigers indicates the
\ninvolvement of international syndicates that are ready to pay
\nhigh prices for the animal.<\/p>\n
Sumatran Tiger Project technical advisor Neil Franklin says a
\ntiger pelt on the domestic market could fetch up to Rp 25 million
\n(US$3,000). Tiger blood, fangs and claws are also in high demand
\nat home.<\/p>\n
On the international market, the price of tiger bones, an
\ningredient in some medicinal concoctions, could reach $2,000 per
\nkilogram on the black market.<\/p>\n
Up to 10 kilograms of bones can be obtained from a tiger aged
\nseven to 10 years.<\/p>\n
It is little wonder then that Sumatran tigers are unceasingly
\nhunted down for the sake of business as their bones alone can be
\nworth up to Rp 288 million per tiger.<\/p>\n
Price become higher once the bones are turned into powdered
\nform, Franklin told The Jakarta Post in Rengat, the capital of
\nIndragiri Hulu -- some 300 kilometers east of Pekanbaru, Riau<\/p>\n
The British-born expert estimates that there are only between
\n400 and 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.<\/p>\n
Besides being hunted by poachers, their natural habitat is
\ndwindling due to illegal logging. Some 100 of them live in
\nforests that span only about 100 hectares. It is estimated that
\nthere are only around 40 tigers left in Bukit Tigapuluh Park.<\/p>\n
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
\n(CITES) held a three-day meeting from March 16 in Switzerland to
\ndiscuss Sumatran tigers. It concluded that the species is
\ncritically endangered due to poaching and illegal logging.<\/p>\n
Franklin said that the arrest of the six suspects illustrated
\nthe country's commitment to saving the Sumatran tigers from
\nextinction. He added that non-governmental organizations in
\nIndonesia should unite to support the preservation of Sumatran
\ntigers.<\/p>\n
He said the habitats of tigers began shrinking when forests in
\nSumatra were divided into lots for forest concessions and
\nagricultural projects. Poaching also increased at around that
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Illegal international networks also made claims that tiger
\nbones had remedial qualities, though this has not been proven.<\/p>\n
The scarcer tigers become, the higher the price will rise.<\/p>\n
\"The syndicates rake in huge profits while poachers earn only
\na little. If tigers become extinct, mark my words, there will be
\nmore claims that cause the decimation of other animal species,\"
\nFranklin said.<\/p>\n
He alleged that Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong and China were
\namong the countries involved in the illegal tiger business. Ports
\nthat are quite near to Singapore are used to export the tiger
\nparts.<\/p>\n
For instance, in Riau, the smugglers of tiger skins and bones
\ncould make use of timber freight ships plying the Dumai- or
\nBatam-Singapore route. Other ports include Tanjung Perak in
\nSurabaya and several other ports nearby.<\/p>\n
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) data reveals that 21 tigers
\nwere poached in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park alone in the
\npast three years, according to WWF project executive Yuyu Arlan.<\/p>\n
She said the figure was considered too high compared to the
\nremaining tiger population. Every year, at least seven tigers are
\nkilled by poachers.<\/p>\n
\"In the past three years alone, more than 40 tigers were
\nkilled outside the Bukit Tigapuluh area. So, the total number of
\ntigers killed in Riau could reach 65,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/foreign-role-suspected-in-tiger-trade-1447899208",
"image": ""
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