With life in the wild becoming increasingly hazardous for the rare Sumatran tiger, the people at the Taman Rimba Zoo thought they could protect at least this one specimen, which was part of their own collection. They were wrong.
Police have charged a thug with a long criminal record with killing the tiger, right in its own zoo enclosure. The animal was dismembered on the spot, and nearly all of its parts spirited away. “The killers left only its intestines in the cage,” said the director of the zoo, which is on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The fact that living in captivity ended up shortening the tiger’s life rather than preserving it is not the only tragic irony in this case. The Zoological Society of London has also disclosed that five years ago this very tiger was used to help train Indonesian vets and zoologists.
The poacher has admitted to receiving an order for the tiger’s skin from an Indonesian “businessman,” but it’s likely the rest it found its way to China. A lucrative market in animal parts has turned that country into a kind of Bermuda Triangle for endangered species, and of all the coveted animals, tigers are near the top of the list.
Deforestation, poaching, and expanding human habitation have taken a drastic toll on the Sumatran tiger. Conservation experts estimate that only about 400 of them still live in the wild.
JM1
Nice. Skin him and his whole family alive, along with the "businessman" and then send their body part to China for organ transplants.
Urgreeneyedangel!
Heck Yea!!!!!!
Mika
LOL @ JM1
I agree with you.
This is messed up, that guy needs to pay the price for killing such a beautiful creature.
Pamela
I agree with JM1,treat the poacher in the same way and send a BIG message out there.Then find the indoneasion businessman and strip him.Then there is China,It is like one big F****** mess.Remember the dogs?It is time to eucate these people that are still in the dark agae.Maybe it would help.
xiaoda
Are you people pro death penalty then? I also hate what this criminal has done, but executing him would be truly something from the 'dark ages'.
JM1
They didn't have zoos in the dark ages.
Tiger Would
What about skinin him, but keeping alive in a salty water tank aquarium.
Ember
+1
two-faced joel
Hmm…i agree that person has to pay the price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Misty Krumwiede- Levenick
This is a sad situation with no easy answer.
JM1
At first blush, the most poetic response would be to feed the poacher and the buyers to the tigers, but that type of food would probably make them sick.
clelcocrice
Hi Folks
Spent the afternoon at Natick Mall .Sales galore and crowds galore..Have the incentives kicked in?.What’s happing in other places?Staff was cut – so service is weaker.Off to shop..Seems like Topanga Mall is crowded, as well.
Peace
Nogizaka
That's way too sick man D;
Kelly
why does everyone hve to kill to git money?? I mean seriosly!!, Cant we all be nice,calm and humane people??? I mean killin dogs, cats and tigers??? I mean i git the ' dogs will tak over the world' theory, but at least kill them humanely.
Fool
The point is not that they're being poached but that they're being killed to the point of extinction. The fact that we can't regulate ourselves is the bigger problem.