Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra. A female Sumatran tiger was found dead in a snare trap in North Sumatra’s Mandailing Natal Regency on Wednesday, wildlife officials reported.

The carcass of the tigress, estimated to be around three years old, was retrieved for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Initial inspections suggest the animal may have been trapped for some time before it was discovered.

Sumatran tigers, critically endangered and protected by Indonesian law, are illegal to hunt or capture.

The body, already showing signs of decay, was found in a plantation in Hutarimbaru Village, located in the Kotanopan district.

"We need to investigate whether the animal was deliberately targeted or if it was caught in a trap meant for wild boars," said Refdi Azmi, head of the local Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA).

Fewer than 600 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild, making the species highly vulnerable to extinction.

In an effort to protect these majestic creatures, the Indonesian government established a major tiger sanctuary in Dharmasraya, West Sumatra, in 2017. The sanctuary focuses on rescuing tigers from threats like poaching and habitat destruction due to human settlement and agricultural expansion.

Spanning 10 hectares, the sanctuary features enclosures ranging from 54 square meters to 2,500 square meters, designed to rehabilitate tigers before they are released back into the wild.