Three Sumatran tigers were found dead trapped in traps in western Indonesia on Sunday, police said.

Legs trapped in cables

Sumatran tigers are one of the most endangered species in the world, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which estimates the number of these felines still in the wild at less than 400.

Deforestation has reduced the natural habitat of this species endemic to the island of Sumatra and multiplied conflicts with humans leaving only a few hundred individuals in the wild.

Two dead tigers were first found in the province of Aceh, in the north of the island, by Indonesians in charge of environmental protection who informed the police.


Authorities found two carcasses, side by side, with their legs trapped in wires, at a plantation in East Aceh district, according to a police statement.

Dead from a wild pig trap?

A few hours later, the police found a third dead tiger, 500 meters further.

Its legs were also bound by a cable and its carcass had begun to decompose.

"Our first guess is that the tigers died from a wild pig trap, because we found them with their paws caught in thick metal wires," local police chief Hendra Sukmana said Sunday evening.

Autopsies will be conducted to confirm the cause of their death.

One of the most endangered species in the world

"We strongly denounce this incident [...] and if the examinations reveal that the death of these protected animals is caused by a premeditated action, we will react severely," the head of the Aceh nature protection agency said on Monday. , Agus Arianto.

Each year, up to a dozen tigers are killed by humans, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Forests, some by poisoning.

Sumatran tigers are also hunted by poachers who sell parts of their carcass in China in particular, where traditional beliefs attribute curative properties to them.

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