JAKARTA, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Two siblings of Sumatran tigers aged over three years have been released into the core zone of Sumatra's largest national park, the Kerinci Seblat National Park, said the North Sumatra Natural Resources and Conservation Center (BKSDA) on Thursday.
Acting Head of the North Sumatra BKSDA Irzal Azhar said the female, Citra Kartini, and the male, Surya Manggala, were released in different locations to avoid inbreeding which could reduce the genetic quality of their offspring.
"After releasing Surya Manggala on Tuesday, we faced bad weather, so we released Citra Kartini the next day," said Azhar.
GPS collars have been attached to both tigers to monitor their movements after returning to the wild.
Azhar said they hope that the two tigers will be able to adapt, survive and breed naturally in their habitat.
Based on monitoring using camera traps, there are about 97 Sumatran tigers in the Park, including Citra Kartini and Surya Manggala. ■