Tiger attacks claim 14 lives in Riau

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.