Sumatran tiger mauls man to death in Indonesia
JAKARTA: A Sumatran tiger has mauled an Indonesian man to death in a national park.
The victim had bite marks all over his body, officials said yesterday.
The man, named only as Mr Sudir, was with four friends on Tuesday collecting palm leaves - which are used to make roofs for traditional village houses - when the attack happened, said park official, Mr Afan Absori.
They were leaving the Sembilang National Park on Sumatra island after night fell when the 25-year-old victim suddenly screamed as the tiger pounced.
Mr Absori said: "The group saw a tiger approaching Sudir and the other four immediately ran away to seek help from people who lived nearby.
"But when they came back, the tiger had gone and had already mauled Sudir."
There have been several cases in recent years of tigers killing people in Indonesia, where logging of rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations is destroying animals' habitat.
Local police spokesman Cahyo Budi Siswanto confirmed the death and said Mr Sudir had bite marks on his neck, leg and buttocks. He was pronounced dead at the scene, said the park official, adding the area where the attack happened as it is a restricted area.
Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by protection group, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with 400 to 500 left in the wild.
Sembilang National Park stretches down Sumatra's east coast and is home to an array of animals, including elephants and clouded leopards. - AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now