Wardi checks the fresh tiger footprints that we came across near the camera trap. photo: WWF / Cobar ACEROS

On May 22, 2006, the sun was shining brightly in Rimbang Baling Game Reserve on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. I and two WWF-Tiger Patrol Unit members, Wardi and Kusdianto, were ready for the day's activities having had breakfast of rice and an egg sunny side up. After breakfast Wardi and I were off to the location where our camera traps had been installed a month ago while Kusdianto stayed at camp to prepare for the next camera trap check in Kalisin River.

A chirping bird accompanied us on our trip to the station where the camera traps were installed. It took us about two hours to walk to the station on a former logging road. Along the logging road, we found footprints of many types of wildlife including the Leopard cat (Felis bengalensis), Tapir (Tapirus indicus), Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and Common porcupine (Histryx brachyuran), but not a single Sumatran tiger's footprints. Neither of us had an unusual feeling that day as we kept busy documenting the footprints.

As we approached the camera traps at about 8:35 a.m., both of us were ready as usual to make poses in front of the cameras to ensure they were still active. One hour later, we had finished changing the film in the cameras. Wardi was in a bit of a hurry to leave the scene, while I was still checking the camera and surrounding area.

About two minutes later, I was shocked by a loud shout from Wardi. I quickly rushed toward Wardi and asked what made him shout. In a trembling voice he said he had just seen the king of the jungle --- a tiger. I was definitely surprised and curious as to whether this really happened. "Where did you see it," I asked Wardi. "Over there," he said while pointing to a water puddle on the logging road, about 82 feet away from where we stood. I then asked Wardi to come with me and follow the tiger, but it had already gone.

Both of us then walked closer to the area where the tiger was seen. From the footprints and scratch it left, it was clear a tiger had been there just minutes before. I quickly took some pictures of the fresh footprints while Wardi began drawing them into plastic transparency.

The tiger footprint measured 4.7 inches long. photo: WWF / Cobar ACEROS

The length of the footprint is 4.7 inches and the width is 4.3 inches, while the distance between steps is 19.7 inches. From the size of footprints we estimated that it was an adult male tiger.

After one and half years of research, this is the first time the WWF Riau team has had a real life encounter with a tiger in the jungle.

Additional information: The distance from the camera trap station where the tiger appeared is 246 feet.
Habitat: secondary forest, former illegal logging area
Altitude: 377 feet above sea level
Soil type: sandy clay