Conflicts between humans and tigers
in Aceh have increaed in the last few years because of the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations. The plantation expansion has caused direct loss of the Sumatran tiger
wild's habitat, forcing them to venture out of their natural environment and come into conflict with local commnunities. This was stated by Director of the Yayasan Ekosistem Sigom Aceh (YESA), Adnan NS, in relation to a tragic event in which an Acehnese farmer was attached by a
tiger.
According to Adnan, the increasing human-tiger conflicts have forced some tigers to move away from their wild habitat in search of of food.
As a result, the tigers are snared or poisoned
and parts of their bodies are traded.
“The human-tiger conflicts occur due to the expansion of oil palm plantations in Aceh, especially in the Leuser Ekosistem, the last place where four critically
endangered species (tiger, orangutan, elephant, rhinoceroes) can still be found
in one place,” Adnan added.
Adnan added that the
Aceh government should be more selective in granting plantation permits in order to
reduce the occurrence of conflict between tigers and humans.
As reported by Serambi Indonesia Daily on 24th of May 2017, a farmer (Samsuddin, 55 years old), was attacked by a tiger in Ligan Village, Sampoiniet District, Aceh Jaya this week. The farmer was able to escape but received some injuries to his body.
It is estimated that only between 500-600 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild, and the actual number may be as low as 400. And their population is dwindling rapidly. In 1978 a tiger census reported around 1,000 Sumatran tigers still in the wild. This means over the last 25 years, the population of Sumatran tigers has been cut in half. (www.tigersincrisis.com)
