Jakarta (VNA) - Camera traps installed in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park of Indonesia have recorded four individual Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae), providing strong evidence that the conservation area's ecosystem remains well preserved.
Head of National Park Management Section for Region I at the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park Authority Hendra Koswandi was quoted by local media as saying that stated that the figure is still preliminary as data collection remains ongoing.
The findings were obtained through a monitoring programme conducted from September to December last year using camera traps in the Suo-Suo area.
During this period, the National Park Authority and its partners deployed 40 camera traps across 20 strategic sites. Each site covers an observation area of approximately 4 square kilometres, a total of around 400 hectares.
Based on the monitoring results, officers were able to identify four different individual Sumatran tigers.
Besides, the cameras recorded 32 other wildlife species, 13 of which are protected under Indonesian law. These include the Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), deer (Cervidae), mouse-deer (Tragulus), pangolin (Pholidota), and binturong (Arctictis binturong).
Bears appear in almost every data retrieval, and wild boars are also consistently seen, Koswandi noted.
He emphasised that the presence of these key species indicates the landscape is still functioning well. However, he acknowledged that the area faces significant pressure from encroachment and illegal hunting.
He noted that such threats persist and require continuous monitoring. To address this, the park authority continues to conduct routine patrols as a preventive measure.
He also called on all segments of society, especially communities living in buffer villages, to actively participate in protecting and monitoring the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park ecosystem, which spans approximately 144,223 hectares across Jambi and Riau provinces./.
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