Stray Sumatran tiger frightens villagers
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sat, 10/24/2009 6:31 PM National
A Sumatran tiger has been found roaming around Jambo Papeun village in Meukek district in South Aceh regency, sparking fear among local residents.
Villager Suparto said Saturday he spotted the stray carnivore two days ago when he was fishing in the river just behind his house.
“I could only pray asking for divine intervention and told the tiger to go away,“ he told Antara, adding that the protected animal stood just three meters from him. Suparto said the tiger left him unharmed as it fled into the jungle.
Village chief Sasmin said the tiger had mauled five goats and 39 poultry chicken belonging to local residents over the last two weeks.
“The big cat has frightened us, but we cannot stop working in our farmland otherwise we will have nothing to eat,” Sasmin said.
The South Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency has sent a tiger tamer and put four traps across the village to catch the endangered animal.
Tigers mauled five residents of Meukek and neighboring Labuhan Haji district to death in 2007.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/10/24/stray-sumatran-tiger-frightens-villagers.html
