Suspected killer tiger 'held' in Taman Safari<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): A Sumatran tiger believed to have devoured two
\npeople in Lampung is now in a cage in Taman Safari.<\/p>\n
The male tiger, aged about three years, was trapped in a
\nLampung jungle Tuesday and shipped Wednesday to Taman Safari in
\nCisarua, about 80 kilometers south of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
It was caught in a 20,000-hectare forest reserve in Simpang
\nTalang Ciamis, West Lampung -- 150 kilometers from Bandar Lampung
\n-- on a truck guarded by armed police and soldiers.<\/p>\n
Lampung forest authorities said it was one of seven or eight
\nwild tigers that often encroached on plantations and residential
\nareas because their habitat was dwindling.<\/p>\n
Named after one of its captors, Udung is in the park's newest
\ncorner -- a tiger breeding ground with 19 Sumatran tigers.<\/p>\n
The tiger is 98 centimeter tall and weighs 87 kilograms. It
\nmeasures 2.23 meters from its head to the tip of its tail. Its
\ncage is three meters wide, four meter long and two meters high.<\/p>\n
The tiger had a thorough medical check-up after being
\ntranquilized yesterday.<\/p>\n
Udung had a blood sample taken, his fleas combed out, his eyes
\nexamined, food remnants removed from his fangs, his blood
\npressure measured and had a registration number tattooed on his
\nleft thigh.<\/p>\n
Veterinarians said Udung was in excellent health.<\/p>\n
Whether Udung was the tiger which ate two Lampung villagers is
\nhard to prove and this has been the source of many jokes among
\nhandlers and visitors.<\/p>\n
\"Let's not treat Udung as if he is the killer. He is now only
\na suspect. A trial by the press should not happen,\" one
\ntelevision journalist quipped.<\/p>\n
Veterinarian Sabdi H. Aliambar said \"we should not violate his
\nrights or he'll go to the Human Rights Commission.\"<\/p>\n
\"We'll send the food bits left on its teeth to the police
\nforensic lab to determine if he has eaten people,\" medical team
\nmember Ligaya Tumbelaka joked.<\/p>\n
News about killer tigers roaming residential areas has scared
\nresidents in Talang Ciamis, Talang Lima, and Cangkaan villages
\nwho squat near the protected forest.<\/p>\n
The mauling of two villagers by Sumatran tigers was been
\nheavily publicized.<\/p>\n
The first victim was a 40-year-old women who worked for the
\nstate-owned Inhutani forestry company in Talang Lima. She was
\neaten alive.<\/p>\n
The second victim was a 50-year-old villager who was attacked
\nwhile reaping coffee in a protected forest in Cangkaan. Both
\nattacks happened last month.<\/p>\n
Experts estimate there are about 500 Sumatran tigers in the
\nwild. They are listed as endangered and a protected species.<\/p>\n
Taman Safari's managing director, Jansen Manansang, said the
\ntigers went on the rampage because their habitat was being
\ndestroyed.<\/p>\n
\"Locals should avoid squatting in the protected forest because
\nit is the one place left where the tigers live,\" he said. (aan)<\/p>",
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