Thieves Kill Sumatran Tiger, Swipe Pricey Fur, Bones

Sales of endangered species persist despite tough laws

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 23, 2009 3:02 PM CDT

(Newser) – Thieves at an Indonesian zoo slaughtered an endangered tiger and swiped most of its body in a caper officials believe was motivated by greed, the AP reports. “It was sadistic,” said the director of the zoo, where staffers found the remains of the female tiger yesterday. “The killers left only its intestines in the cage.” The fur and bones of Sumatran tigers are highly valuable and are often sold openly in Indonesia, despite strict laws banning such trade.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

An activist in tiger costume takes part in a demonstration against Sumatran tiger and elephant trade in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A group of thieves killed an endangered tiger in an Indonesian zoo and stole most of its body, zoo officials said today. (Shutter Stock)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

It was sadistic.
The killers left only its intestines in the cage.
- Adrianis, Taman Rimba Zoo director

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Man in Mugshot Explains Why He Has Half a Head (HuffPost)

Another Sign Rihanna and Chris Brown Might Get Back Together? (Celebuzz)

These Exes Were Spotted Making Out … and That's a Bad Thing (Bleacher Report)

Did the Romney Family Dog Flee to Canada? (Slate)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 6 comments

schmidtkoff

Aug 24, 2009 5:03 AM CDT

true kati. the consumers are definitely at fault. the greed is disgusting. these people won't rest until the last tiger, rhino, elephant is harvested for body parts to feed the insatiable perverted and antiquated mores and greedy ego-inflated collectors of skins, tusks, biles and other bodily parts of endangered species. be damned. all of them.

cognitivefilter

Aug 24, 2009 3:12 AM CDT

sad, deranged, and wrong. it is imperative that we keep these animals safe

kati

Aug 24, 2009 2:29 AM CDT

Supply and demand: the killers should suffer, but even more so, the consumers. That goes for the rest of the fur industry.

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

E-Cigarette Explodes in Man's Mouth

Associated Press (Source Grid »)

World • Crime & Courts • Green

endangered species • Indonesia • theft • zoo • Sumatran tiger • strange stuff

More Newser Stories

Ram, Doe to Marry in China

Zoologists caution against over-analyzing the interspecies bond

(NEWSER) - A ram and a deer living in a southwestern Chinese zoo who have formed an "unconventional relationship" are set to be "married" on Valentine's Day, reports the BBC . The zoo tried to separate the animals in November, but found that the ram acted violently toward other sheep—and the doe broke through a fence to get close to him. So zookeepers reunited the animals, and will hold the "wedding" tomorrow. The zoo plans to issue 500 tickets costing about $10 each to those who wish to attend—though officials caution people from reading too much into their relationship. "Leaving them alone is the best choice," said one zoo researcher. More»

UK Fugitive Since 1993 Became Missouri Cable Guy

'Fast Eddie' Maher, alleged thief, caught after 19 years

(NEWSER) - Nearly two decades ago in England, one "Fast Eddie" Maher allegedly stole an armored car packed with $1.6 million in coins and bills. Now Edward John Maher has finally been caught—in a Missouri town, where he was working as a cable guy, the Kansas City Star reports. Maher worked at an armored-car company and stole the loot during a delivery, police say; he's become a legend of sorts in Britain, with one newspaper guessing last year that he'd never be found. More»

Scientists Find Monkeys Thought to Be Extinct

And they weren't even looking for them

(NEWSER) - Scientists have stumbled upon a monkey many thought no longer existed. Seeking leopards and orangutans, the researchers placed camera traps in an Indonesian forest. When they checked the pictures, they were astonished to see images of large gray monkeys none had ever seen before, the AP reports. Photographs of the Miller's Grizzled Langur are nearly impossible to find, so the researchers could only compare the images to museum sketches. More»

Thieves Dig 100 Feet to Steal ATM

But cash machine contained 'limited funds' at time of theft

(NEWSER) - Who says the work ethic is dead? Enterprising thieves in Manchester, England, dug a 100-foot-long, 4-foot-tall tunnel under a parking lot, then burrowed through 15 inches of concrete, all in order to steal an ATM machine. The scheme likely took up to six months and in the end it netted the thieves—well, just $9,200, reports the Telegraph . More»

Girl Lost in 2004 Tsunami Found Safe: Report

Grandfather discovers girl looking for home in Indonesia

(NEWSER) - Seven years ago, an 8-year-old girl was pulled from her mother's arms by the tsunami in Indonesia; now, word is she's been discovered alive. An acquaintance brought a 15-year-old girl to her grandfather's home this week; his name—Ibrahim—was the only one she could remember, state news reported. The acquaintance had found the girl in a nearby coffee shop, where she'd been taken for a beggar. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Thieves Kill Sumatran Tiger, Swipe Pricey Fur, Bones