Tiger Gabitat in Bukit Betabuh Threatened

Kuangtang Singingi (News Today) - From day to day, habitat of Sumatran tiger or Panthera Tigris Sumatrae in Betabuh Bukit forest state, Kuantan Singingi, Riau, Sumatera Islan, become more endangered since the forest encroachment.

According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Riau office’s spokesperson, Syamsidar, 25 thousand acres of forest is set as the state forest in 1997. WWF research found that the water absorbing forest territory is used by the Singingi sub-district and also as the potential area for Sumatran Tiger habitat.

"According to intensive WWF’s research since last year, we can say that at least 10 Sumatran tiger live in the area. There are hundreds of photo and video to support this result," said Syamsidar in Kuantan Singingi on Wednesday.

In addition, he said, the number of tiger in this area is bigger that tiger that was found in Tigapuluh Hill National Forest (TNBT). Based on WWF research, there are just 8 sumatran tiger in TNBT.

"The research in TNBT needs three years to detect 8 Sumatran tigers, while the research on Bukit Betabuh just begun from last year," he added.

WWF predict that there are more number of tigers that live in the area because the tigers’ footprints that found in road path in Bukit Betabuh.

The footprints are bigger than footprints from other tigers from other region. Besides, the video that WWF put since last year also record the parent and its child went outside in the same time.

But unfortunately, the expanding of palm plantation to this region threatened the live hood of this protected animals, he said.

The area of palm plantations in Bukit Betabuh forest state is spreading until 100 acres. According to Darno (42), one of the worker, the owner of the palm plantation is Akim and Cipto. Both are businessman from Baserah who lived in Pekanbaru.

"There was Forestry Office in this area. They said that the palm plantation against the rule, but now there is no continuity action," Darno said while laughing.

According to plantation supervisor, Sigit, he doesn’t know that the palm plantation is part of the forest state. His job is just to supervise the plantation area with his 14 co-workers.

Based on ANTARA monitoring from the entry gate to the Bukit Betabuh area, there is no signpost showing that the area is a forest state. Local people said that the signpost has been pull out by strangers few years ago.

Source : kompas

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