Sumatran tiger kills Indonesian farmer

Jun 26, 2008, 8:17 GMT

Jakarta - A wild tiger attacked and mauled a farmer to death Thursday in Indonesia's Aceh province on the northern end of Sumatra, a local media report said.

The state-run Antara news agency reported that the incident took place on Thursday morning when the victim, identified as Herman, 33, along with his neighbour Khairuddin, 36, were walking to his plantation about 3 kilometres from his residence in southern Aceh district of Tapaktuan.

Razali, head of the Simpang Village, was quoted as saying that residents founded the body of Herman with deep wounds on his head and stomach.

A series of attacks by tigers in Sumatra in recent months has sparked fear among residents living in nearby forests.

Environmentalists said the attack was a result of the destruction of the species' natural habitat by logging, saying tigers would not disturb humans if their habitat was not destroyed.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are between 400 and 500 Sumatra tigers left in the wild. The Sumatran tiger is believed to be the last remaining sub-species of tiger indigenous to Indonesia. The Bali and Java tigers are believed to be extinct.

Environmentalists blamed illegal hunting, which claims an estimated 50 Sumatran tigers per year, and rampant deforestation in Sumatra for the big cats' drastic drop in population.