Tracing The Ancestor's Footprints in Wounded Jungle of Sumatera

"Shhh, Nenek is sleeping..." whispered a lady to me in a crowd at the edge of the forest in Lebong Regency, Bengkulu Province, in early 2012.

I carefully saw what everyone else was seeing. In Bahasa Indonesia, "Nenek" means "Grandma". But no, what they called "Nenek" earlier wasn't an elderly woman lying down on her bed. It was a cat, one whose body was only slightly smaller than a cow. That great feline was resting inside an iron cage, its eyes closed under the effects of anesthesia.

Even though the body was covered in wounds, traces of its elegance and majesty were inevitable. Its orange-brown fur streaked with black, made it appear perfectly camouflaged against the shades of the forest. Its sharp claws were hidden within paws as wide as a 4R photo frame. Its white fangs protruded slightly from its jaw, like natural weapons, declaring to the whole jungle who the true sovereign was.

It was the first time I saw a real wild Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) with my own eyes, not from a photo nor  video. I was just a new journalist back then, assigned to cover the rescue of a male Sumatran tiger that had fallen into a villager's wild boar trap for a local newspaper.

The tiger's condition was awful. The body was covered not only with snares but also with spear wounds. It was later transported to Bogor, West Java, for the best possible treatment we could've found, but unfortunately, it passed away just a few days later.

That memory from 13 years ago has been fading out, but I still can vividly remember crying hard when I heard the tiger had finally died. We only met once, didn't even see or touch each other, but it feels like we've known each other for a long time. For me, it was not a random wild animal, but rather a respected distant relative.

Sacred Traces of Awe in the Jungle  of Sumatra

Tigers have different nicknames in Sumatra, depending on the region or the ethnic group. For example, "Nenek" is used by the Rejang people in Bengkulu. "Datuk" or "Inyiak" are how people in West Sumatra call them, while "Puyang" is a popular nickname for tigers in South Sumatra. There are also "Rimueng" in Aceh, "Diyau" in Jambi, and many more. So, "Nenek" here doesn't mean "grandmother". In fact, the tiger I spoke of at the beginning of this story was a male.

However, regardless of the nickname, they all have the same meaning: a respectful title for the elderly. This is certainly more than just a nickname, but rather a message to us about how the indigenous people of Sumatra once held tigers in high regard, similar to the sacred practice of Indians who devote elephants.

Tigers play a vital role in the community's spiritual life. There are many legends or stories passed down from generation to generation about the ancestral spirits or village guardians who turn into tigers to protect their descendants.

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.  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.

Threats of Sumateran Tiger (private doc) 

Theats

Protecting the Last Ancestor's  Footprints in the Jungle of Sumatera

Talking about the Sumatran tiger and extinction is not just about a single species fading from the earth, but it's a huge signal of the breakdown of an entire ecosystem. Losing the Great Nenek means losing the forest, biodiversity, and balance of human life

Every bullet and snare that is used by hunters, every inch of forest that is cleared, and every human-animal conflict will accelerate the Sumatran tiger's journey to extinction.

One day, generations after us will only known our Nenek through records, images, stories, or silent bones behind glass in a museum.

Moreover, the loss of the Sumatran tiger also means losing a part of our cultural identity. Tigers have long been woven into our society through history, local wisdom, folktales, and even as symbols of strength. Not only in Sumatra, but across the entire archipelago.

Protecting the Sumatran tiger is not only Conservation's duty.  It is our shared responsibility. They are living proof that nature's heart still beats amid globalization.
If we neglect to protect them today, it is not only the tiger that will become extinct tomorrow, but also our home and hope for a sustainable earth.