ZSL condemns tiger murder
Tuesday 25 August 2009
ZSL is calling for further enforcement to protect Sumatran tigers, after a female tiger that had formerly been part of a conservation project run by ZSL was slaughtered at Jambi Zoo, Indonesia, for her body parts.
© Noriaki Sakaguchi
Poachers broke into the zoo on Saturday morning and then drugged and skinned the tiger in its enclosure. They then fled from the scene leaving only a few remains of the tiger behind.
It’s believed the body parts will be sold on the black market, where they’re in high demand for their use in Chinese medicine.
ZSL is involved in conservation efforts to save the Sumatran Tiger in the region and in 2003, ran a veterinary workshop at Jambi Zoo which included the female tiger.
Sarah Christie, tiger conservation manager for ZSL said: "This tragic incident highlights the need for improved law enforcement at a local level.
"It is shocking that this tiger, who has contributed to tiger conservation via her role in training young Indonesian wildlife biologists and vets, should fuel the trade in wildlife parts which threatens her kind with extinction."
ZSL conservationists have recently started working with the Jambi provincial government to set up a local wildlife crime team, using trainers from experienced and successful units elsewhere in Sumatra.
The team will work with local law enforcement authorities and the staff of Berbak National Park, to prevent poaching and other illegal activities in and around the park and to investigate local wildlife traders and middlemen.
Help ZSL save Sumatran tigers
ZSL’s work in Indonesian relies completely on the generosity of donors and grants.
All donations will be used by our field conservation team to help us conserve tigers and other species in Indonesia.
