BBKSDA Hunts Sumatran Tiger after Two Fatal Attacks in Pelalawan

RRI.CO.ID, Pekanbaru - The threat posed by a Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) in industrial plantation forest (HTI) areas of Pelalawan Regency, Riau Province, has claimed another life. A wild animal believed to be the same individual that killed a 12-year-old boy days earlier attacked again, killing a worker.

The victim has been identified as Eko Prasetyo, 29. He was found dead after allegedly being mauled by a Sumatran tiger at the second HTI camp in Sungai Ara village, Pelalawan Regency.

Acting Head of the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), Laskar Jaya Permana, said the incident occurred on the night of Friday, 10 July 2026. The second attack took place about 6.5 kilometers from the site of the first incident.

“The victim was apparently attacked by the tiger after leaving the camp at night,” Laskar said in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, on Monday, 13 July 2026.

Eko’s body was discovered on the morning of Saturday, 11 July 2026, with severe wounds to his neck and both legs. “Parts of the body had also been consumed by the tiger,” he added, as quoted by infopublik.id.

In response, BBKSDA Riau deployed a mitigation team to the area. As a preventive measure, two cage traps were installed around the site to capture the Sumatran tiger suspected of the attacks.

Preliminary field identification indicates the tiger that killed Eko is likely the same individual involved in the earlier attack. That assessment is based on similarities in the size and characteristics of tracks found at both sites.

“The preliminary conclusion comes from track examinations in the field, which show the same size and characteristics. Identification continues to confirm whether it is indeed the same animal,” explained Laskar.

Based on initial monitoring, the animal is estimated to be a male Sumatran tiger about three years old.

Earlier, the tiger attacked JZ, 12, the child of an HTI worker who lived at the same camp. That incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 7 July 2026. At the time, the boy was waiting for his older sibling to finish washing dishes in the camp’s rear bathroom.

The sibling heard the child scream. When found about 10 meters from the camp, the boy had severe neck injuries and later died after being taken to a medical facility.

BBKSDA Riau continues monitoring and mitigation efforts around the area. Residents and workers operating in forest zones are urged to increase vigilance, limit outdoor activity around camps, especially at night, and immediately report any tiger sightings or signs of tiger activity to authorities. ***