Tiger attacks claim 14 lives in Riau

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru, Riau, The Jakarta Post

Sumatran tigers have killed 14 people in Riau province since January, 2002, say Harizal Djalil, the director of Riau-based, non-governmental organization (NGO) Tropika.

He cited loss of habitat due to illegal logging and the burning of forests as the main contributing factor.

Ironically, the latest victim was a logger from Panipahan district in Rokan Hilir regency. He was attacked last Wednesday.

Disappearing rainforests and the accompanying loss of wildlife have forced Sumatran tigers to search for food beyond their forest habitat.

"Then, conflicts between tigers and humans can't be avoided. It must be stopped, because the conflicts have taken a toll, not only on tigers, but also on humans," he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Harizal said tigers had attacked 17 times since January last year. Fourteen people were killed.

He demanded the government work with concerned groups, including the NGOs, to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, Rudin, the logger who was attacked in the Panipahan forest early Wednesday morning, died in a hospital in Pekanbaru two days later.

The man's grieving father, Ama, said his son died because two hospitals, one in Dumi and the other in Bagansiapi-api, said they could not treat the injuries.

"It was too late to save my son's life because it took too long to bring him from the Panipahan forest to the hospital here," he told the Post at the hospital on Friday.

Ama said Rudin, Rudin's brother-in-law Gera and a friend, Syaiful, were sleeping in a makeshift tent when the tiger struck.

"He was the only one who was sleeping facedown and unfortunately became the target. From stories told by the villagers, tigers usually approach from behind and never from the front," Ama said.

The tiger fled when Rudin's screams woke his companions.