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In the Republic of Indonesia, once home to three of the world's
eight known subspecies of tiger, virtually nothing is known about
the trade in wild tigers or its impact on wild tiger populations.
Indonesia's only remaining tiger subspecies, the Sumatran, lives
only on the island of Sumatra and is critically endangered. Little
information about the illegal trade in tigers in Sumatra is available.
Plowden and Bowles examined the trade in northern Sumatra in the
early 1990s, and a recent study by WWF (1999) concluded that at
least 66 Sumatran tigers were killed over a two-year period.
The objectives were to document illegal trafficking patterns
in tigers (and rhinos) in most of Sumatra by employing an intelligence
and informant network, by systematically surveying all possible
outlets for illegal tiger and rhino parts, and by interviewing
people on both sides of the issue.
The purpose of our study was to address the urgent need for quantitative
data about the illegal poaching and trade of wild tigers in Sumatra.
Over a 16-month period in 1999-2000, a team of undercover agents
interviewed poachers and villagers and collected data from traders
across southern and central Sumatra. This study provides the first
documented evidence of the extent and distribution of tiger trafficking
in Sumatra. Combined with new information about the number and
distribution of wild tigers, these data provide the first direct
evidence that tiger populations in Sumatra may not be sustainable
unless the illegal trade in tigers is stanched.
Threats to tigers in the wild occur in two respects: indirect
threats to the size and quality of habitat and direct threats
such as poaching. Some of the direct threats are a result of conflict
between tigers and people. This information was obtained from
confessions of amateur and professional poachers. Professional
poachers usually have been in the business for some time and have
clear marketing channels, while amateurs tend to be neophytes
who hunt only opportunistically. Our research has found that professional
poachers use snares and guns, are part of organized groups, and
have clear marketing channels. They are responsible for approximately
25% of the poaching incidents we uncovered. Amateur poachers accounted
for 75% of the incidents. Tigers or tiger parts are sold to agents
or sold as opportunities arise for mystical reasons or for traditional
medicines. A complete report of this undercover investigation
will be published soon.
Currently there is limited cooperation between government agencies
and NGO's relating to the centralized organization of intelligence
information related to tiger poaching and trafficking in body
parts. In addition, the methods by which this information is obtained
in the field are varied in their effectiveness and there is little
standardization of data formats. PHKA has identified that the
development of a systematic and collective database is necessary,
based on information collected from field teams from the various
conservation projects operating in Sumatra. For tiger related
information this database will be under the coordination of the
PHKA Program Manager for the Sumatran Tiger Conservation Program.
This person will be responsible for disseminating the information
to PHKA central offices, the Justice Department and police forces.
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