Sumatran tiger wanders into plantation camp in Indonesia and injures sleeping worker

Man who was attacked woke up astonished to see the tiger just two metres away

A Sumatran tiger wandered into a plantation camp in Indonesia on Saturday and injured a sleeping worker, local media reported.

The head of natural conservation agency of Riau province on the island of Sumatra told state news agency Antara that the workers were resting at the time of the incident.

The man who was attacked woke up astonished to see the tiger just two metres away, reported the South China Morning Post.

“The worker fought back by grabbing the tiger’s leg with his left hand and using his right hand to hold the tiger’s body away, but his head was already injured by the tiger’s left claws,” SCMP quoted conservation agency head Genman Hasibuan as saying.

The worker received 20 stitches from a scalp injury.

Three critically endangered Sumatran tigers were found dead earlier this year after being caught in traps. The numbers of these tigers have dwindled to about 400 in the wild, authorities said. Under Indonesia’s Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems law, those who intentionally kill protected animals would face up to five years in prison and a fine of 100 million rupiah ($7,000).

Sumatran tigers — the most critically endangered tiger subspecies — are under increasing pressure due to poaching and a shrinking jungle habitat, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

Conservationists say the coronavirus pandemic has led to increased poaching as villagers turn to hunting to supplement diminished incomes.

Additional reporting from agencies