Conflict Tiger: Health and Handling

Sumatran tigers are increasingly under threat due to conflict with humans. Poachers hoping to sell their bones into the Chinese medicine trade lay snares for them, and they can also get caught in traps left for pigs and deer. In addition, they may eat goats belonging to local people and be trapped and removed to solve the problem.

ZSL Vet Tai Strike during a practical workshop

To enable Indonesian vets and other staff to assist the Indonesian Forestry Department in saving these tigers that come into conflict with humans, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) ran a veterinary training course in early 2012 in partnership with Taman Safari Indonesia, (TSI, a large zoo on Java) to increase their practical skills

Summary of Practical Exercises

The practical sessions began by showing a video on how to anaesthetize a tiger using a low cost, efficient blowpipe gun and how to make the blowpipe and blow syringe.

Blowpipe training

Participants were then divided into three groups, each group were tasked, in real time, to check the health of a sedated tiger. The groups discussed the appropriate methods and procedures including the drugs that they would use and the volume based on the tigers weight.

The participants collected samples of blood, fur and faeces. The tiger was then brought out of sedation and monitored whilst it recovered.

The final practical training covered the methods involved in examining blood and faecal samples in the laboratory. The group discussed the findings of this exercise.

Taman Safari Indonesia aim to keep in contact with all attendees so that should any treatment need to be carried out on either a wild tiger or captive tiger, they can participate and continue their practical experience.