JAKARTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A recently evacuated Sumatran tiger has now been released into its wild forest habitat in the Kerinci Seblat National Park on Sumatra Island, Indonesia, the Jambi Natural Resources and Conservation Center (BKSDA) said on Tuesday.
Head of Jambi BKSDA Rahmad Saleh said the translocation of the 8-10-year-old tiger to an area of 1.4 million hectares was carried out by a helicopter.
"This release is to save and return the tiger to a safer habitat," said Saleh.
The Jambi BKSDA evacuated the tiger trapped in a resident's plantation in Merangin Regency on April 21.
The medical test concluded that the tiger was in healthy condition with a weight of 110 kg, body length of 217 cm with upper and lower fangs of 6.2 cm and 3.5 cm, respectively.
Saleh added that intensive care for 40 days at the Jambi BKSDA Wildlife Rescue had made the tiger more ready to return to the wild.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Sumatran tiger as critically endangered, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) categorizes it on the list of wild flora and fauna species prohibited from trade. ■