Rare Sumatran tiger death probed
LONDON. October 5.KAZINFORM Indonesian officials are investigating why one of the world's rarest tigers died during attempts to transport it to a wildlife sanctuary.
The Sumatran tiger was supposed to have been taken from Banda Aceh on Sumatra island to the sanctuary on Java.
But for reasons correspondents say are unclear, the tiger was instead taken back to Banda Aceh after a stopover.
One report said airline officials took it off the flight after passengers complained about an unpleasant smell.
An autopsy revealed that the tiger died from severe trauma.
Officials say it died while being taken back to Banda Aceh from Medan, another city on Sumatra closer to its intended destination.
A spokesman for Garuda Indonesia airlines insisted that the correct procedures for carrying the animal were followed.
The spokesman told the AFP news agency that Garuda would co-operate with forestry ministry officials in their inquiry.
Wildlife experts estimate that there are about 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.
They have blamed the demise of the animals on rampant human incursions into rapidly diminishing forests.
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