The figure of a supernatural tiger is also said to be frequently encountered by those lost in the forest. Stories of "Nenek", the Sumatran tigers who lead them the way home, are told over time.
This respectful nickname certainly didn't just emerge. It arose from reverence, respect, and a humble recognition that humans are truly just a tiny dot in the universe. They believe that the forest and everything inside lived far before them. They are the elders, the wiser, and the more worthy of respect.
The Sumatran tiger is an apex predator. It holds the key to the balance of the local ecosystem. In addition to controlling the population, tigers also maintain water sources and the health of forest vegetation as well. No wonder that traditional communities hold tigers in such high regard. This figure is revered and believed to be the guardian of harmony. Tigers are not enemies. They are teachers who silently give guidance about the balance in life.
From A Symbol of Honor to the Edge of Extinction
But as time goes by, the world changes. What was once seen priceless, now seems worthless.
The Sumatran jungle, where tigers once roamed freely from Lampung to Aceh, is now fragmented by lanes of highways, palm oil plantations, and mining pits day by day. The scale is staggering. The WWF, on its official website, states that approximately 12 million hectares of forest in Sumatra have been decimated over the last 22 years. This equals half of the original forest area itself!
That's how the Nenek's roaming routes were brutally taken. As their core habitat was increasingly depleted, the availability of natural prey sources dwindled, forcing them to frequently move in and out of villages. Humans didn't accept this, and conflicts arose.
Nenek, who was once highly respected, was now considered nothing more than a livestock pest that needed to be exterminated.
I'm no longer a journalist, but it breaks the heart to hear that tigers are snared in poachers' wire, or struck down by bullets' fire. Â Their skins are traded, their fangs exchanged in greed. Their bones are praised as cure, their whiskers plucked to craft charms that promise powers pure.
According to the Forum Harimau Kita website, the current Sumatran tiger population is estimated at less than 600 including those in conservation areas. No wonder the status is now Critically Endangered based on the IUCN Red List.
If humans don't take significant actions to protect the Sumatran tiger, it is estimated that in less than 100 years, this last endemic tiger subspecies in Indonesia will follow its two cousins, the Bali tiger and the Javan tiger, which have already gone extinct decades ago.
Tragic. Don't even talk about extinction,  the death of just  one tiger dies  is like a broken line in history. It's also like silencing of ancestral prayers.
