Asia-Pacific News
LEAD: Indonesian police investigate spear attack on endangered tiger
Jan 11, 2012, 6:48 GMT
Jakarta - Indonesian authorities were Wednesday looking for suspected poachers who attacked an endangered Sumatran tiger with spears in Bengkulu province, an official said Wednesday.
The tiger was found on Monday caught a wire trap with nine wounds from spears, said Supartono, head of the provincial Nature Conservation Agency. Like many Indonesians he uses only one name.
The tiger, aged between 5 and 6 years, was being treated by a veterinarian at the agency's office and would be released to the wild once it had fully recovered, he said.
'The tiger's condition has sharply improved,' said Supartono, declining to say when he expected the animal to be fully recovered. 'It is able to eat and drink.'
Agency officials were working with the police to apprehend those responsible for the trap, he said.
'We suspect it was the work of animal poachers,' he said.
Supartono said conflict between animals and people in the area has increased in recent years as natural habitats shrink because of human encroachment.
There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild and their survival is threatened by deforestation and poaching, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.
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