A recent discovery in the Sukabumi area of West Java has raised speculation about the existence of the extinct Javan Tiger. According to an article published in the Oryx journal by Cambridge University Press on 21st March 2024, feather samples found resemble those of the Javan Tiger specimen.
Titled “Is the Javan tiger Panthera Tigris Sondaica extant? DNA analysis of a recent hair sample,” the journal has sparked significant interest among Indonesians. The Javan Tiger was declared extinct in the 1980s due to extensive hunting, leading to a drastic decline in its population.
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Genetic evidence suggesting the presence of Javan Tigers was uncovered through collaborative research conducted by scientists from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Sustainable Educational Landscape (BEL) Foundation, and the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA).
The BRIN research team concluded, “Through a comprehensive analysis of mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA), we determined that the hair samples from South Sukabumi belonged to Javan tigers, sharing genetic similarities with DNA preserved from Javan tigers at the Zoologicum Bogoriense Museum, collected back in 1930.”
“Confirmation of the existence of the Javan tiger necessitates further investigation through genetic analysis and field studies,” they emphasized.
The hair sample was stumbled upon by Kalih Reksasewu, prompted by a report from Ripi Yanuar Fajar, a resident of Cipeundeuy Village in Sukabumi, West Java. Fajar claimed to have encountered an animal resembling the Javan tiger, a species believed to be extinct, on 19th August 2019.
“The comparison of hair samples from the Sukabumi Tiger indicates a similarity of 97.06% to the Sumatran Tiger and 96.87% to the Bengal Tiger. In contrast, the Javan Tiger specimen from the MZB collection exhibits a 98.23% similarity to the Sumatran Tiger,” stated the researchers.
Their confidence was bolstered by the discovery of claw marks resembling those of a tiger. However, BRIN researchers are currently in the process of investigating the potential existence of Javan Tigers and cannot definitively confirm their presence until further research is conducted.
