Sumatran tiger captured

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: After nearly three weeks a team of hunters captured Tuesday a Sumatran tiger believed to have attacked locals several times over the past month.

A hunter from the province's natural resources conservation office, Udung O.S, told Antara the tiger was caught in one of four wooden traps set near the Talang Ciamis village, 225 kilometers southwest of here.

Udung said the tiger was believed to be one of between six and 12 which had killed three people and injured another three.

The hunting team included staff from Taman Safari in Bogor, West Java, who were looking for a female tiger to use as a breeding partner for its males tigers. Taman Safari lone female tiger has always given birth to invalid cubs.

Udung said they almost caught another tiger in the neighboring village of Talang Lima, but it managed to escape, damaging a 600- kilogram cage. A tiger mauled a man to death in this village in mid-June.

The team had also set a trap on a route between Talang Bengluku village and Talang Cengkahan village where a farmer was killed and four villagers injured in tiger attacks on June 20 and June 21.

Last month a tiger killed a woman who worked for the state- owned forestry company, PT Inhutani. (amd)