Child Killed by Tiger in Pelalawan, BBKSDA Riau Sets Trap Camera

The BBKSDA Riau team when measuring the tiger's footprints in Sungai Ara Village, Pelalawan District, Pelalawan Regency. ANTARA/HO-BBKSDA Riau

PEKANBARU - The Riau Provincial Natural Resources Conservation Agency has installed a trap camera to follow up on reports of a 12-year-old boy who was killed by a Sumatran tiger in Pelalawan Regency.

Head of the Riau BBKSDA, Supartono, said the incident occurred on Tuesday morning (7/7) in the area of the Industrial Plant Forest Utilization (PBPH-HTI) Permit Area in Sungai Ara Village, Pelalawan District.

"Currently, the team is installing camera traps around the scene of the incident," said Supartono as reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 10.

He said, based on the results of the investigation, the victim was attacked around 04.30 WIB while outside the workers' camp bathroom. The victim before the tiger attack was accompanying his brother to wash the cutlery in the camp bathroom.

At the time of the incident, the victim was suddenly dragged by a tiger which was allegedly entered through the back fence of the camp which was in an open condition due to damage. The victim was then found about 10 meters behind the camp with injuries to the left and right neck.

According to the results of the team's measurements in the field, he continued, the location of the incident was in the PBPH-HTI workers camp, which was about 5.3 kilometers from the Emerald National Park area. Also about 5.7 kilometers from the Riau Ecosystem Restoration (RER) area, and administratively in the Sungai Ara Village and Pangkalan Terap Village, Pelalawan District.

Meanwhile, the results of the identification found signs of the presence of Sumatran tigers around the workers' camp. The trail found had a length of about 16 cm and a width of 15 cm with the farthest step distance between the front and back legs of about 120 cm.

As a precautionary measure, the BBKSDA Riau team appealed to all people, workers, and companies that operate around the habitat area of the Sumatran tiger to increase vigilance, not to carry out activities alone, especially at night and early morning.

"The BBKSDA Riau team will continue to make efforts to handle it in a measurable manner with the parties concerned, while still prioritizing human safety and the preservation of the Sumatran tiger as a protected animal," said Supartono.