Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is the smallest species of all tigers and they live only in Sumatra, Indonesia. Sumatran tiger’s skin is also darker and their black stripes are much closer together. At glance, tiger’s stripes look like similarone another, but actually their stripes are unique as human’s fingerprint. Adult Sumatran tiger can reach 140 kg and they can be 2.5 m long from head to tail. They can run as fast as 65 km/hour. This big cat needs home range of 25,000 hectare wide for each individual.
However, this majestic predator faces danger in their population. Tigers are killed in huge numbers for tiger skins, bones or other body parts, involved in conflict with humans, their prey are killed by hunters, and threat on their forest habitats which converted to human uses. In the face of these immense threats, WCS has developed a set of powerful strategies to increased tiger populations.
What we do
- Support the Indonesia Government in implementing a national action plan and together with the Forum HarimauKita lead the Population Viability Analysis as a precursor for the next ten years tiger conservation action plan and strategies.
- Protect tigers and their habitat: This work includes law enforcement to address illegal encroachment and logging, promoting environmentally friendly livelihoods in buffer zone areas, spatial and land use planning, and ecosystem restoration. We are also working well with the Ministry of Forestry to increase the efficiency of national parks management.
- Reduce human-tiger conflict: we work with local communities to mitigate conflict between humans and tigers. This includes innovative “tiger-proof livestock enclosures”, livestock management, and personal safety advice and procedures.
- Conduct scientific research on tigers to improve conservation strategies: Develop key species population monitoring system in order to support the government to evaluate the target of increasing 10% tiger population in 2014 – 2019 period in the areas which appointed as species’ monitoring sites. Our recent population monitoring estimate that the population has doubling in Bukit Barisan Selatan NP compares to 2002 survey.
- Law enforcement and policies strengthening: we are regularly giving technical support to authorities to combat wildlife trade from investigation to legal monitoring to ensure that the law has been enforced fairly & transparently.