Rare Sumatran tiger dies in Indonesia

An endangered Sumatran tiger that was rescued from a wire trap in a protected Indonesian jungle has died from its injuries, a conservation official said Sunday.

The five-year-old male tiger was flown from Bengkulu province in Sumatra to Jakarta for surgery after it was discovered on Monday suffering nine spear wounds, provincial conservancy agency chief Amon Zamora told AFP.

"It died from its injuries on Saturday. Veterinary surgeons found a spear wound that pierced it from the back to the chest, which proved to be fatal," he said.

"The tiger was also shot with an air rifle. Pellets were found in its eyes," Zamora said, adding that authorities were hunting for those behind the attack.

The tiger was found in Bengkulu, entangled in a wire trap attached to a tree branch.

Officials said the trap was likely set by poachers looking to sell the rare animal's body parts on the black market.

The conservation agency found several similar traps in the province last year and was helping police track down a suspected group of poachers.

There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left and environmental activists say the animals are increasingly coming into conflict with people as their natural habitat is rapidly deforested.

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