Friday, July 25, 2008 becomes an unforgettable moment to the life of Charles Antonio, a member of Tiger Protection Unit of WWF-Indonesia as he succeeded in rescuing a deer being trapped on a snare in Rimbang Baling Game Reserve, in the jungle of Sumatra forest. In his fear, he dared himself to cut off the snare rope that tied the deer’s front right leg. In his doubt, he chose to let the deer free

As a member of Tiger Protection Unit, Anton and his other five team mates are usually deployed to several spots identified with high intensity of poaching. Based on the result of previous patrol, Tiger Protection Unit identified poaching activities still exist at some parts of the Bukit Rimbang Baling Game Reserve. Therefore at July 17, The Tiger Patrol Unit was deployed to some areas in the game reserve. Anton got an assignment to sweep away snares on the North West part of Bukit Rimbang Baling Reserve. And surprisingly, at this period of patrol, he and his two local guides could confiscate 60 set of snares in the area, the biggest number ever got during the implementation of the patrol team since amid 2004. Of all the snares confiscated are identified as snare used to trap deer.

Bukit Rimbang Baling Game Reserve is a remaining forest in Riau with hilly topography and a potential habitat for Sumatran tiger. Survey of WWF-Indonesia on population and distribution of Sumatran tiger in Rimbang Baling Game Reserve through camera trap conducted in 2006 obtained 7 frames of tiger photos.

A deer is being trapped in Rimbang Baling Game Reserve. © WWF-Indonesia

At July 24, 2008, together with local guide, Anton followed the track inside the hilly forest of Bukit Rimbang Baling Game Reserve sweeping snares hiding on the forest floor. Arriving at one of the back of the hills, Anton and his two companions were almost caught in hand by two people who believed to be the snare installer coming to check the snares. Realizing this condition, Anton and his companions spontaneously glide away to the hill’s edge to avoid contact with the two people. Anton and the two local guides then decided not to continue sweeping snares on that day.

On the following day at 8 O’clock, Anton and his companions had gone off from their tent where they spent the night. They hiked the hill back again heading the same direction as yesterday’s direction. They had just succeeded to confiscate fourteen snares when they suddenly heard a noise of leaves and twigs. It seemed that the leaves and the twigs were hardly scraped by a wildlife. Cautiously they approached the source where the voice came from and finally they saw a female deer trapped on snare was trying to free it self. It seemed that it had just been trapped for about two to three hours as it still seemed so aggressive to try to let its leg free.

Anton, a member of TPU of WWF-Indonesia is trying to free a deer from a snare trap. © WWF-Indonesia

Anton and his two local guides were puzzled for a moment as they did not know what to do to rescue the deer. In another side they were afraid if the deer would attack them if it had been free. Something crossed on their mind about the benefit of a deer that they could earn. “Akh….forget about it, it is better that this deer gains its free life again,” said Anton in his heart. Anton then dared himself to swing his knife to the snare rope but his first stab did not succeed to cut it off. The deer became more aggressive, seeing this his two companions could not dare to staying around, they decided to go back to their tent and leave Anton alone. Restraining his fear, Anton stabbed his knife again on the rope snare and it made the rope almost off.

Anton became doubt whether to continue rescuing the deer. Finally Anton swing his knife again on the rope snare and said to himself” if in this third swing, the rope is not cut off, I would probably run away.” And finally the rope snare was off, the deer immediately run away and Anton spontaneously run to a tree and climbed it to save himself.

After he felt safe, he then ran back to their tent to meet his two companions with a relieved feeling that he had succeeded to let a deer free. He hopes that the deer will be able to survive and he will never meet any other deer trapped especially tiger.