Population of Sumatran tigers decreasing

Padang, West Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The population of the Sumatran tiger (Panthera Tigris Sumatrae) in 21 conservation areas in West Sumatra has decreased continuously over the past five years due to land clearance and illegal logging activities, a nature conservation official said.
"There are no detailed data on the existing number of the protected animals but it is believed their population has dropped steadily over the past five years," an official at the Natural Resources Conservation Office (KSDA), Rusdian, said on Wednesday.
He said 12 tigers were killed in the 2006-2007 period in some districts/municipalities in the province and it was estimated their population had dropped to only 50, including those in the 21 conservation areas.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) had categorized the Sumatran tiger as an endangered species since 1996.
The Indonesian government gave the tiger the status of protected animal through Government Regulation No 7/1999.
But their number was tending to decrease due to illegal trading and hunting, Rusdian said.
He said the KSDA would intensify control over the activities of people living in areas around forests to keep them from hunting the endangered species.
"We will also conduct activities to encourage people to take care of the protected animals as their number is decreasing," he said. (*) END