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.