Last Tigers of Sumatra Still Hold Ground in Bukit Tigapuluh

Conservation officers in Indonesia’s Bukit Tigapuluh National Park have recorded four individual Sumatran tigers roaming through the forest, a rare and encouraging sign for one of the world’s most endangered big cats.

The animals were captured on camera traps installed across the park’s remote Suo-Suo area during a monitoring program conducted between September and December 2025. The images confirm that the critically endangered predator is still using the protected landscape, reinforcing the importance of Bukit Tigapuluh as a key refuge for wildlife on Sumatra.

Park officials said the footage came from a network of 40 motion-sensitive cameras spread across 20 monitoring grids, each covering roughly four square kilometers. The system allows rangers to track elusive species without disturbing their natural behavior.

“For now, four individuals have been identified, and monitoring is continuing,” said Hendra Koswandi, a senior official at the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park authority, for Indonesia News Agency, Antara. He noted that further data collection could reveal additional tigers moving through the area.

Apex Predator Signals Forest Health

The presence of Sumatran tigers is widely regarded as a strong indicator of ecosystem integrity. As apex predators, tigers require large, intact territories with sufficient prey, dense cover, and minimal human disturbance.

Camera traps in Bukit Tigapuluh also recorded more than 30 other wildlife species, including several protected mammals such as Sumatran elephants, Malayan tapirs, sun bears, deer, pangolins, and binturongs. The diversity of species suggests that food chains and forest functions remain largely intact within the park.

Bukit Tigapuluh spans more than 140,000 hectares across the provinces of Jambi and Riau and is one of the last strongholds of lowland rainforest in central Sumatra. It also serves as an important buffer against expanding agricultural and industrial activities in surrounding areas.

A Species on the Edge

Despite the encouraging images, conservationists warn that the broader outlook for the Sumatran tiger remains grim.

The Sumatran tiger is the last surviving tiger subspecies in Indonesia, after the extinction of the Bali tiger and Javan tiger in the 20th century. Today, the animal is classified as Critically Endangered, with the total wild population estimated at only a few hundred individuals across the island.

Decades of deforestation, driven by logging, plantation expansion, mining, and infrastructure development, have dramatically reduced and fragmented tiger habitat. Many remaining populations are isolated in small forest blocks, increasing the risk of inbreeding and local extinction.

Poaching remains a persistent threat. Although protected by law, tigers are still illegally hunted for their skins, bones, and other body parts, which are traded on the black market. In some areas, tigers are also killed in retaliation after conflicts with humans, particularly when shrinking forests force them closer to villages and livestock.

Pressure Inside and Outside Protected Areas

Even national parks are not immune to pressure. Park authorities acknowledge that encroachment, illegal hunting, and forest clearing continue to pose challenges, particularly along park boundaries.

To counter these threats, Bukit Tigapuluh has intensified routine patrols, increased ranger capacity, and expanded cooperation with local communities living in buffer zones. Community involvement is seen as critical, as residents are often the first to detect illegal activity or wildlife movement.

“We continue to strengthen patrols and involve local communities and partner organizations,” Hendra said, adding that additional personnel have recently been deployed to support field operations.

Wildlife experts emphasize that camera-trap records, while valuable, should not be interpreted as evidence that tiger populations are recovering. Instead, they serve as baseline data that help guide protection strategies, identify priority habitats, and measure the effectiveness of conservation efforts over time.

For now, the images from Bukit Tigapuluh stand as a rare reminder that, with sustained protection and collective commitment, Indonesia’s last tiger still has a fighting chance to remain part of the island’s future — not just its past. (Wage Erlangga)