Hunted Animals Decreased, BKSDA Agam Suspected Trigger Tigers Entering Residents' Settlements In Maua Hilia

Officers installed camera traps to monitor the movement of wild tigers in Agam Regency, West Sumatra Province. (AMONG)

SUMABR - Head of the Agam Natural Resources Conservation Resort, Ade Putra, suspects that the Sumatran tiger entered the residential area of Maua Hilia, Jorong Kayu Pasak Timur, Nagari Salareh Aia, Agam, West Sumatra Province to find food.

"Tigers' feed in the form of wild boars, deer and other animals is decreasing in the area," he said in Lubukbasung as reported by Antara, Tuesday, December 8.

According to Ade, his party recently rarely found any traces of animals preyed on by tigers such as pigs and deer in areas where tigers live.

"We have been handling this conflict for almost a month. We have not found any traces of pigs, deer and other animals in the area," he said.

He attributed the sudden death of dozens of pigs from African swine flu to the declining food availability of wild tigers in the region.

In order to prevent hungry tigers from entering settlements, he explained, Agam Natural Resources Conservation Resort officers installed two trap cages to catch tigers that were about to enter resident villages.

"We have set the trap cage for seven days and have not succeeded in catching the tiger," he said.