"Our team in cooperation with the Kerinci Seblat National Park`s Sumatran Tiger Preservation Unit has set a trap to catch the tiger so that it will not harm any local resident or the other way round," Amon Zamora, head of Bengkulu`s BKSDA, said here Thursday.
A BKSDA team had recently found fresh tiger footprints near the village.
According to local residents, there were two tigers that often trespassed their village and had struck fear among them.
However, the BKSDA team had only set one trap despite local residents` reports that there were two tigers.
The tigers had trespassed the village probably because deforestation had shrunk their natural habitat, Amon said, adding that they had entered the village to find food.
Deforestation for plantations or housing development were the greatest threats to the existence of Sumatran Tigers in Bengkulu, Amon said.
Earlier, it was reported that two cows belonging to local residents had been killed by a tiger.
Ketahun Sub-district chief Budi Sampurno said the residents preferred to hide to avoid being harmed by the tigers.
Local residents were aware that tigers were protected animals and therefore they always avoided doing anything reckless that could harm the tigers.(*)
KR-AES/HAJM/F001
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
