Villagers spot Javanese tiger

Villagers spot Javanese tiger

YOGYAKARTA: Villagers in Gunungkidul regency claim to have
seen the Javanese tiger, last photographed in the wild in 1938
and long considered extinct, seeking water near human
settlements.

Jaiman, a Pucenganom villager in Rongkop subdistrict, said he
saw on Monday morning a Javanese tiger and several cubs drinking
from a well where residents draw water.

"At first, I thought they were dogs, but when I looked at them
carefully I discovered they were tigers," he told Antara.

He said the animals were apparently tame and not afraid of
man.

Another resident, Citropawiro of Sumberwungu village in Tepus
subdistrict, said he saw tigers wandering around resettlement
areas almost nightly in search of water.

The villagers often heard the tigers drinking water nearby, he
said.

Citropawiro said the tigers, which were about the size of
goats, did not disturb cattle belonging to residents.

In Ponjong subdistrict, motorists often claim to see tigers at
night crossing the road to a well.