Three endangered Sumatran tigers found dead
There is only an estimated 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.
On Indonesia's Sumatra Island, three critically endangered Sumatran tigers have been found dead, as reported by Associated Press (AP).
Local police chief in the East Aceh district of Aceh province, Hendra Sukmana, said that a female and a male tiger were found dead yesterday (24 April) with leg injuries caused by a snare trap.
Another female tiger was found dead a few hours later 550 yards away, with a snare embedded in her neck and legs, which were almost severed.
Snare traps are commonly used on Sumatra island by farmers to catch wild boar, which are considered disruptive pests. Sukmana said that the authorities have appealed to the community and to plantation companies to not set snares in forest areas.
Sumatran tigers are the most critically endangered subspecies of tiger, with fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers estimated to remain in the wild. Under Indonesia's Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems law, anyone who intentionally kills a protected animal would face a fine of 100 million rupiah, and up to five years in prison.
Agus Arianto, who heads the conservation agency in Aceh, told AP that an autopsy was underway to determine the causes of the tigers' death.
Arianto said: “We strongly condemned this incident and will cooperate with law enforcement agencies in an investigation.”
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
