By: Natalia Trita Agnika

Central Sumatra is home to the largest Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). However, this area is under tremendous pressure due to rampant logging, both legal and illegal, as well as the conversion of forests into various forms of land, which has led to habitat loss and fragmentation, and human-animal conflict. This poses a serious threat to the tiger's survival. Therefore, as an effort to conserve Sumatran tigers, WWF formed the Tiger Monitoring Team and Tiger Protection Team.

The Tiger Monitoring Team itself is nicknamed as FTT (For the Tiger, Fancy Tiger Team or any other free extension) while the Tiger Protection Team is known as Tiger Protection Unit (TPU). All have been operating effectively since 2004 and work hand-in-hand with their respective partners to monitor and protect tigers, as well as increase public understanding and support for Sumatran Tiger conservation.

Tiger monitoring is a fundamentally important activity to provide direction for conservation efforts that can accommodate the needs of many parties. The hope is that tigers will be sustainable and a harmonious life between humans and nature will be created. The team is coordinated by Febri Anggriawan Widodo as the Research and Monitoring (Tiger and Elephant) Module Leader WWF-Indonesia or Coordinator of the Tiger and Elephant Research and Monitoring Program. Born in Klaten, Central Java, Widodo is passionate about wildlife and habitat conservation. For more than four years, he has been involved in wildlife and habitat conservation activities, with the hope that humans and nature can protect each other. "Humans protect nature, and vice versa," he hopes.

Along with Febri, there are other team members who have high dedication and enthusiasm to strive for tiger conservation by becoming members of the Tiger Monitoring Team. They include Kusdianto, Rahmad Adi, Eka Septayuda, Effendi Panjaitan, Yansen Gultom, Fazrin Habil, Heri Priatna, Jeri Iriawan, Andi Sumarno, Dede Suhendri, Amrizal, Maraus, Hamdani Renanda, Amir, Yukasdi, Werda Syahrudin, Asri, Adi Saputra, Yusroh, Jonnedi, Faizal Syafri, Damri, Rexsi Gustaf Saputra, and Hermanto. Hermanto himself, who is familiarly called Gebok, is the oldest member of the team with an age of almost 50 years and is currently still actively traveling through the tough jungle of Sumatra.

The activities of the Tiger Monitoring Team begin with an introduction to the area, both through literature and map studies as well as direct field visits and discussions with the community about the condition of tigers and their habitat. When monitoring, the team uses equipment such as camera traps and GPS (Global Positioning System).

The team's monitoring results are an important asset to tiger conservation efforts. Images obtained from camera traps installed by the Tiger Monitoring Team provide valuable evidence of tiger presence. Videos that are then published will arouse public awareness to care about the fate of tigers. The main result is scientific information related to tiger populations, prey abundance and habitat conditions that are useful for determining the direction of future tiger conservation policies.

[Watch: Video of Sumatran Tigers Successfully Breeding in the Wild]

To estimate the tiger population, the team installs systematically placed camera traps. Each individual tiger caught on camera can be identified through its unique stripe pattern. In addition, the use of camera traps can help document habitat conditions, threats experienced, and the behavior of tigers and other key animals living within the tiger's range.

Researching the presence of Sumatran Tigers is not an easy task.

The team often encounters various challenges. For example, a wasp sting once made the eye of one of the monitoring team members swollen. The rough terrain even caused the car they were traveling in to fall into a puddle. The weight of their backpacks did not dampen their spirits when they had to climb cliffs and hills to collect valuable data. Strong motivation is the driving force. Effendi Panjaitan, for example. This young man of Batak descent has been fighting for wildlife conservation since 2005. He consistently guards his heart and actions for the preservation of nature. "My main motivation is to learn to recognize and appreciate nature and its contents for a good future," he says.

The unyielding spirit of the Tiger Monitoring Team continues to be fueled with the hope that the Sumatran Tiger remains sustainable. Thank you for supporting this team by becoming a Tiger Warrior WWF-Indonesia. .