The snare of the Sumatran tiger trade

Originally broadcast on the CNN Indonesia In-depth program in two episodes. You can watch the full version here. This story was supported by GRID-Arendal’s Investigative Environmental Journalism Grants programme. Learn more.

In Indonesia, conflicts between Sumatran tigers and humans occur every year. This protected animal has recently been seen appearing in people’s plantations and often preying on livestock. During the pandemic, the hunting targeting Sumatran tigers has increased.

The Sumatran tiger is now threatened with extinction. Deforestation has caused fragmented habitats and disrupted roaming trajectories, causing more and more tigers to stroll into areas adjacent to human settlements. This animal has also been plagued by trafficking crimes for a long time. Not only circulating in the domestic market, the Sumatran tiger has also become an international trade commodity.

For a long time, the trade chain of wild and protected animals in Indonesia has never been uncovered and subjected to proper law enforcement. Apart from weak regulations, the capacity of law enforcement officers to investigate cases is also hindered by the presence of powerful people behind the trafficking.

There is in practice no deterrent for the perpetrators. Arrests often target actors at lower levels, local hunters, or buyers. However, the investigations never seem to fully disclose where this animal commodity ends up.

The journey of this coverage begins with the story of human conflict with the Sumatran tiger. In a village in Jambi province, Sumatra Island, a tigress has pounced on three people. Two died and one survived. After being captured, the tigress also died during the treatment period.

In another province of West Sumatra, there are also conflicts between tigers and humans. For 41 days, a tiger entered the human settlements and disturbed the residents. The tiger was finally caught and taken to a rehabilitation center. After six months of treatment, the tiger tragically died.

Besides causing human casualties, many conflicts led to the death of tigers. The tigers are hunted to death by being snared, poisoned, and even killed in plantation company concession areas. The poaching threats targeting Sumatran tiger are very high. Economic pressures encourage perpetrators to kill and sell tiger organs. However, the perpetrators are often punished with light sentences.

This coverage project also reveals the trade chain of Sumatran tigers from hunters to transnational collectors. This crime against animals is classified as a transnational crime because its trade penetrates across countries. China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong are the destination countries for the smuggled tigers. Tiger skin is most widely circulated in the domestic market for jewelry and cultural products. Meanwhile, bones, teeth, fangs, and skulls were secretly sold overseas.