There Is A Sumatran Tiger Sighting In Lebong, BKSDA Intervenes

A joint team of TNKS, BKSDA, Lingkar Institute and KPHL Bukit Daun inspected the location of the Sumatran tiger sightings reported by residents. ANTARA/HO-BKSDA Bengkulu-Lampung

BENGKULU - The Bengkulu-Lampung Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) is currently investigating the sighting of a Sumatran tiger on the provincial road connecting Lebong Regency with North Bengkulu on Monday, February 21 evening.

The Head of the Conservation Section for Region I of the Bengkulu-Lampung BKSDA, Said Jauhari, said the sighting of the Sumatran tiger was in the Bukit Daun Protection Forest area in the Bukit Resam area between Padang Bano District, North Bengkulu Regency, and Tubei District, Lebong Regency.

"The team yesterday went to the field to identify, there was personnel from TNKS, KPHL Bukit Daun, from the Lingkar Institute, an NGO that cares about tigers and BKSDA to check the truth," he said when contacted at his office in Rejang Lebong, Between, Wednesday, February 23.

He explained that the team that went to the location where residents reported there were sightings of Sumatran tigers had difficulty identifying traces of protected animals, whether adult tigers or juvenile tigers.

"Officers in the field have difficulty identifying it, because the traces or shape are not clearly visible, the soil condition is dry not muddy. Only where the animal passed from identification there were indeed traces of grass being stepped on, but no traces or feathers were seen," he explained.

"This is where the protected animal is located on the asphalt road connecting the two districts," he added. "This is only information in the form of photos from cellphone cameras and testimonies from residents who saw them on the shoulder of the paved road but no traces were found.

"There are no traces or leaving fur, only information from those who witnessed and sent the photo. The latest information today is the result of communication with the head of my resort at Lake Tes South Lebong to this day the tiger has returned to its habitat, because the location is a crossing," Said explained.

According to him, the existence of Sumatran tigers in the Bukit Resam area has existed for a long time considering it is a crossing route and Padang Bano is known for its tigers and there was a conflict with humans in the area's village several years ago.

He appealed to the local community not to do illegal hunting and harm the protected animal, this tiger is on the streets allegedly due to the rampant opening of plantations in the protected forest so as to damage its habitat.