Sumatran tigers are the most endangered tiger species globally, classified as critically endangered with less than 400 individuals left. On April 24, 2022, three adult tigers were found dead caught in traps in East Aceh, Sumatra. While the final cause of death is still being determined by local officials completing the autopsy, one of the tigers was found with a snare around her neck, nearly entirely decapitated by the wire. Two locals have since been arrested for the death of these three tigers.

After finding the initial casualty, officials discovered two more deceased tigers, an adult male and a female, also caught in snare wires. Unfortunately, the Sumatran tiger has recently been under pressure in the Aceh region, with two adults and two cubs found dead from similar fates towards the end of 2021. Although poaching and the sale of tiger parts illegally are problematic in the region, the cause of these tragic deaths is something entirely different: unsustainable farming methods, specifically of palm oil.

The Use of Snares Around Palm Oil Plantations

The snares that these Sumatran tigers were caught in are generally used to manage wild boar around palm oil plantations. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to regulate which species get caught in the dangerous traps, and with various critically endangered species in the region, this practice has become unsafe and irresponsible.

As with most things, this is not entirely the fault of farmers as they are trying to protect their crops the only way they know. The high demand for palm oil globally puts pressure on farmers to produce mass quantities every year. Trap setting feels like a necessary evil to plantation owners to reduce crop loss. As long as consumers continue to create high demand for unsustainably farmed products, these practices will persist.

By supporting sustainably farmed palm oil products, such as products with the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil certification stamp, consumers are casting their vote for the farming methods they’re willing to support. The reality is that palm oil is not a crop that will ever completely disappear. It’s too widely used globally in food, cleaning products, and more. However, it can be sourced in a more ethical way that does not destroy the planet and endanger biodiversity in the process.

Simply put, consume ethical palm oil or none at all. That is the only way to avoid unnecessary and tragic incidences like what has occurred with snares in Aceh over the last few years. For more on palm oil, check out this post.

Other Risk Factors for Sumatran Tigers

Besides unsustainable farming of palm oil around the Sumatran tiger habitat, there is simply too much farming, shrinking available habitat for these predators. As the jungle habitat disappears and becomes more riddled with dangerous traps, this valuable population will continue to decrease.

Other significant risks for Sumatran tigers include poaching for profit, such as selling tiger parts on the black market. Every time tiger parts enter the black market, they increase the demand for more, putting more pressure on the species.

Last June, four men were arrested in East Aceh for selling the remains of a tiger that was caught in one of these snare traps. This fueling the market impacts all of the at-risk species around Indonesia, like orangutans and elephants.

In Indonesia, the intentional killing of protected species is punishable by law; offenders face up to five years in prison and a fine of around $7,000. However, these killings won't stop anytime soon without first addressing the source of demand, both in the illegal trade and unsustainable farming.