Indonesia Pledges to Step Up Tiger Protection
Indonesia promised to impose stiffer penalties against poachers and illegal loggers as officials from 13 countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam—gathered in Jakarta to try to save an estimated 3,200 tigers left in the wild from extinction. Indonesian Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said his country has 400 Sumatran tigers, a nearly 50 percent decline from 25 years ago. Under current laws, poachers and illegal loggers face a maximum of five years in jail and a fine of up to US $11,000, but Hasan vowed to come down harder on violators. Tiger parts are in demand for traditional medicine, health tonics, decoration and even fashion. The animals are also threatened by habitat loss and declining populations of their prey.
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