Tiger Conservation Landscape

The only refuge for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger is the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where fewer than 400 of the big cats are estimated to survive. Sumatran tigers are the smallest subspecies of tiger and are still found scattered across the forests of the island. But key tiger habitat is being replaced by vast oil palm and acacia plantations, and illegal logging, encroachment and tiger poaching are rampant.

Findings: In an effort to better understand and protect the world’s remaining tigers, WWF, WCS, STF dan Smithsonian National Zoological Park in 2006 analysed and prioritised tiger habitat in Sumatra. Sumatra’s tiger habitat was categorised into 12 “tiger conservation landscapes” (TCLs), with two of them identified as global priorities for tiger conservation.

Kerinci Seblat is a global priority TCL, with 19,653 km2 of tiger habitat including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests. The other global priority on Sumatra is Bukit Tigapuluh, which covers both tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest and has 5,417 km2 of tiger habitat. Both are classified as global priorities as they were found to offer the best hope for long-term tiger conservation and have known breeding tiger populations supported by a sufficient prey base. They both have adequate habitat area that is under little or no threat and conservation measures are in place both locally and nationally to ensure long-term conservation.