A wounded Sumatran tiger has been rescued and is on the mend, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Ministry reported, after she was believed to have been caught in a boar trap.
Sharing a report by the North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA), the ministry said that on Dec. 16, conservation officials found the tiger in a cage with barbed wire — believed to be intended to trap wild boars in the forest.
The tiger suffered deep cuts throughout her body, including in her abdomen and legs, as she tried to break free.
She was rescued and taken to a nearby tiger sanctuary in Siundol Village, Padang Lawas Regency where vets treated her wounds. Officials say the endangered animal, which has been named Dewi Siundol after the village, is recovering at the sanctuary.
“To us, Dewi Siundol being trapped is not a source of pride. but we all have a reason to be happy and celebrate rescuing and saving this endangered creature, which is only endemic to Sumatra island,” the post reads.
Dewi Siundol is estimated to be 6 years old. No date has been set for her return to the wild.
BBKSDA officials say they are going to scour the rainforests in the region for traps that could endanger protected species like Sumatran tigers.
Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild and environmental activists say they are increasingly coming into conflict with people as their natural habitat is rapidly deforested.
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