Weak law enforcement is believed as the main cause of the difficulty of combating tiger poaching activities.
Update 7/4/11 - Tigers India -Click here: Greens roar with delight at tigers' permanent status - Care2 News Network During the period 1998-2009, as many as 46 tigers were found dead as a result of man-tiger conflicts and illegal hunting, meaning that an average of seven tigers had been murdered every-year in Riau province. Only three cases of tiger poaching ended up in court in that period.
"But jail sentences handed down by the judges did not trigger a deterrent effect because the perpetrators are only punished up to one year in prison," Osmantri said. "Law enforcement against poaching and killing tigers in Riau is the most weakest than other regions in Sumatra."
Environmentalists said the destruction of the species' natural habitat by illegal logging triggered the rise of conflicts between tigers and humans living in nearby forests. There are between 300 and 400 Sumatra tigers left in the wild. The Sumatran tiger is believed to be the last remaining sub-species of tiger indigenous to Indonesia. The Bali and Java tigers are believed to be extinct.
The Sumatran tiger is in danger of becoming the first major mammal to become extinct in the 21st century, as villagers on the Indonesian island fight a deadly war with the magnificent but ferocious predator.
Indonesia must act to protect it's precious resource. International assistance must be asked and participation encouraged. Serious consideration must be given to LOGGING ENTERPRISES, LOSS OF HABITAT AND HUNTING FOR SELLING TIGER PARTS. Education and an aware public population must act. THERE'S ONLY A FEW YEARS LEFT FOR THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT TO SAVE THE SUMATRAN TIGER. WILL THEY DO IT? Thanking you, AnimalActionUSA