Advertisement

Tigers kill man, trap five others in tree in Indonesia

ACEH, Indonesia, July 7 (UPI) -- Four Sumatran tigers killed and ate a man in Indonesia and trapped five others who climbed a tree to escape the animals, police said.

A 30-member search and rescue crew set out Saturday to track down the stranded men deep in the Gunung Leuser National Park, police said.

Advertisement

The men had been trapped in a tree for three days after four tigers attacked the group, killing and partially eating 28-year-old David, who was identified only by his first name.

The men, all residents of Simpang Kiri village in Aceh Tamiang district, went into the forest to forage for agarwood, a rare and extremely expensive type of alim wood used in aromatic oils and incense, the Jakarta Globe reported. One kilogram of agarwood sells for about $505.

Venturing into the national forest is a dangerous prospect, said Aceh Tamiang Police Chief Dicky Sondani.

"People keep entering the jungle to look for alim wood because it's very expensive; up to 5 million rupees per kilogram. But, well, that's the risk; there are many tigers and elephants in Gunung Leuser's jungle," he said.

After the attack, the men used their cell phones to call people from their village for help. The small rescue group was kept away by the tigers, who were standing guard under the tree, the newspaper said.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines