Indonesia Sees Rise in Sumatran Tiger Numbers

Big cat conservation groups had good news to announce Monday in celebration of the third annual International Tiger Day -- numbers of Sumatran tigers seem to be on the rise.

A recent study of the Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation -- a 450 square kilometer wildlife concession on Indonesia's Sumatra Island -- found an unexpectedly high density of tigers in about a quarter of the concession's area.

Recent camera trap data indicates an estimated six tigers per 100 square kilometers in the southwest portion of the concession. This estimate is nearly double the highest recorded number of tigers ever recorded in the area.

Big cat conservation group Panthera reports the news as a "beacon of hope for the last remaining 400-500 wild Sumatran tigers."

Alan Rabinowitz, Panthera CEO and tiger scientist, called the new-found tiger densities "extraordinary" and pointed to the establishment of nature conservations, particularly and anti-poaching measures as credit to the seeming rebound in tiger numbers on Sumatra. Rabinowitz creditied Tambling conservation founder Tomy Winata with making great strides for tiger conservation.

"Armed with a zero tolerance policy towards poaching, Mr. Tomy Winata and his team have successfully secured a significant area utilizing effective enforcement," Rabinowitz said. "This fact, coupled with good science and monitoring, has had the desired results; tigers are now breeding. Tambling is a model tiger conservation site that is giving the Sumatran subspecies a real chance not just to recover...but to thrive."

In a statement, Winata discussed his philosophy behind his attempt to save the Sumatran tiger:

"I am doing all this because it is my belief that nature has provided us with everything we need to survive and live in this world, and yet so many people have taken from her for their own benefit without giving anything back in return. So I hope that my efforts in wildlife conservation and forest and ecosystem sustainability can be a role model for others, so that together we can help save Mother Nature and never forget where we came from."

Sumatran tigers are listed as "critically endangered" on the ICUN Red List of Threatened Species, which states the tigers' population is in an overall decline. Sumatran tigers are only found on the Indonesian island, where they number in the hundreds.

July 29 marks the third annual International Tiger Day, a public outreach campaign aimed to raise awareness of the tigers' dwindling number in the wild. The campaign reports there are only 3,200 wild tigers left in the world.

The seeming increase in Sumatran tigers correlates with recent news of the big cats trapping a group of men in trees for days.