Taming the tiger hunters of Sumatra

The growing tiger trade threatens the survival of wild Sumatran tigers

March 31, 2000
Web posted at: 1:47 p.m. HKT (0547 GMT)

From London Bureau Chief Tom Mintier

LONDON (CNN) -- The last species of the Sumatran tiger can still be found in the jungles of Indonesia...but maybe not for long.

In the last two years, 66 Sumatran tigers have been confirmed killed for their skins, bones and teeth putting the great jungle beast at greater risk of extinction than ever.

"For an animal as endangered as the tiger, anything that's sold openly, in the cases that we found in certain countries in Asia, is bad news for the tiger because there are so few of them," Stuart Chapman of the World Wildlife Fund said.

"They are one of the world's most endangered species. And this open trade in skins and novelties or charms is just another nail in the coffin for the species in the wild."

AUDIO Stuart Chapman, from the World Wildlife Fund, comments on the tiger trade 385K/35 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     MESSAGE BOARD Animal world

The problem in Indonesia represents one in every five remaining tigers being killed during the last 2 years. In years past, much of the tiger slaughter was destined for the Chinese medicine market...now they are becoming ornaments in living rooms.

"What we have seen now is the expansion of another area of the market that we had thought was confined to the history books which is the skin trade. And now for an adult male tiger, all his component parts, in the black market, the retail value is around $70,000," Chapman said.

The tiger trade is still flourishing in countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

66 Sumatran tigers have been slaughtered in the last 2 years for their skin, bones and teeth

The traffic in tiger parts comes despite local laws protecting the tiger -- laws that the WWF says are not being enforced.

Over the past one hundred years tiger numbers have dwindled. At the start of the 20th century, more than 100,000 wild tigers roamed the earth.

Now with poaching and entire forests being hacked away the numbers are small -- less than 7,500. The fear is that by the end of this century the only tigers left will be pictures in the history books.

Nature - Controversy stalks endangered species convention
March 29, 2000
Illegal trade threatens 10 'most wanted' species
March 24, 2000
Extinction stalks world's tigers
February 16, 1999
Wildlife group awards cities 'the tail' in tiger, rhino parts trade
March 10, 1998
Countries join together to save the tiger
February 17, 1998

WWF International
CIA -- The World Factbook 1999 -- Indonesia

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