Rare footage of Sumatran tigers raises conservation hopes
JAKARTA Footage capturing the lives of a family of Sumatran tigers in a forest in Riau has sparked hope of a better future in the country for the species.
The footage was released on Monday by the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to commemorate International Tigers Day.
It shows how the tiger, Rima, has given birth twice - to three cubs in 2015 and to four last year. Rima lives in a forest in Riau with Uma, her male partner, and their cubs.
The cubs look healthy and curious about their surroundings as they follow their mother through the forest.
Tigers Alive Initiative head Michael Baltzer was quoted on the WWF website as saying the footage proved tigers "could proliferate like cats" if they had a protected habitat and food and were not hunted.
Sumatran tigers have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 2008.
In 1978, experts estimated the population of Sumatran tigers at 1,000. Today, the Environment and Forestry Ministry estimates the Sumatran tiger population stands at no more than 600.
The Riau BKSDA head said the footage was good news as the government was aiming to increase the country's tiger population by 10 per cent.
"It proves Sumatran tigers can thrive in Sumatra. This shows a strong commitment by the government to save the tiger and its habitat." - THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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