Tigers call oil palm plantation home
Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post/Jambi
There are only a few habitats of the Sumatran tiger (panthera tigris sumatrae) left in Jambi province and one of them is located in a conservation area on the PT Asiatic Persada (AP) plantation.
The habitat is located in Muarojambi regency, some 100 kilometers to the south of Jambi city.
Tigers roam free in two separate areas here, each measuring about 2,000 hectares, which is dense forest.
The president director of PT AP, Sean Marron, said recently that the company had acquired since 2000 the right to commercially operate 27,000 hectares from the former company, which was liquidated. "We conducted a survey and found that there were still some tiger habitats and various species of other animals," Marron, a British national, told The Jakarta Post.
The company then decided to make it into a conservation area, not only for the tigers, but also for various flora and fauna endemic to the area, such as tapir and deer, as well as plants like tembesu and bulian.
The company collaborates with the Zoological Society of London to do research on the animals. As much as Rp 100 million (US$11,000) per month has been allocated for, among other things, providing food and medical treatment for the animals.
Only about 8,500 hectares out of 27,000 hectares of the company's land have been planted with oil palm trees.
Besides that, the company leaves one empty cluster or a cluster of rejected fruit from each tree on the ground as food for the wild boars, which are a source of food for the tigers.
"As long as the company is in operation, we will be committed to preserve this conservation area," said Marron.
The company's environment and conservation officer, Volta Bone, said that in 2000, there were only eight tigers in the two areas. To date, 16 cubs have been born, five of which are female.
"We keep track of their condition by using sensor cameras installed in various places in the area," said Volta.
Each tiger has been fitted with a microchip.
He said it was encouraging to see the tiger population on the plantation increase in the past five years. However, it has also led to problems since the home range of 50 square kilometers for each tiger is no longer effective in the conservation area.
The area is also prone to illegal logging and poaching. It is common to hear rumors of tiger attacks, although no deaths have been reported.
"The area will be damaged if illegal logging prevails and the tiger will have to find another area in which to live. This is a serious threat for the company and residents of the area," said Volta, who added that the company needed a legal instrument from the local administration to stop the illegal activities.
"The local administration could designate additional forested areas around the company's conservation area so that the tigers can have an adequate home range," he said.
The area is also home to about 400 people from the isolated Bathin IX tribe who depend on the forest for their livelihood.
"We are not thinking only about the tigers, but also the conservation of an area that is beneficial to the tribe," said Volta.
Few facts about Sumatran tiger
Between 400 and 500 Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) remain in the wild. For the most part they live in five national parks and two game reserves on Sumatra island, but about 100 are scattered in small widely spread groups on land designated for agriculture. Their habitat is destined to be lost in the very near future.
Source: http://www.lairweb.org.nz/tiger/sumatran.html