Indonesian police apprehended a man in early October who is suspected of illegally trading Sumatran tiger body parts, including the skin and other organs, as reported by Tempo.
On October 3, 2025, Aceh Police in the Luweng Kutuben Village, Kuala Pesisir District, Nagan Raya Regency, Aceh, Indonesia, arrested a suspect, identified as S.B., on suspicion of illegal wildlife trade.
Earlier in the year, S.B. was involved in an investigation regarding the sale of Sumatran tiger skins, but was not present during the sale, so they remained at large.
"At that time, we only managed to seize evidence in the form of a piece of Sumatran tiger skin, 16 claws, two fangs, one finger bone, two pelvic bones, one joint bone, one skull bone, and two mobile phones," said director of the Criminal Investigation Directorate (Dirreskrimsus) of Polda Aceh, commissioner Zulhir Destrian, per Tempo.
After further investigations, the police were able to track S.B. and arrest the suspect on suspicion of their involvement in illegal wildlife trade. According to the police, S.B. will be charged with crimes concerning Indonesia's Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems.
"SB is suspected of committing crimes related to the hunting and trading of protected wildlife by possessing, owning, transporting, or commercializing the body parts of protected animals, such as Sumatran tiger skins and organs, as regulated by the law," Zulhir said, per the outlet.
Sumatran tigers, from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, are critically endangered, with an estimated only 400 individuals left in the world. The biggest threat to the remaining population is poaching. The illegal wildlife trade accounts for nearly $20 billion each year. According to Panthera, tiger parts are used for medicine, as well as decor to symbolize wealth.
Sumatran tigers are one of 48,600 species in danger of extinction. The extinction of species can alter ecosystems, having further effects on other wildlife and plants in the environment.
"When you lose one species, it affects the ecosystem and everything around it gets a little bit more fragile while it adapts to change," said Kelsey Wooddell, former assistant director of the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability at Columbia University, per a university news site. "Even if it's not a keystone species [a species that others in an ecosystem depend on], its loss will weaken the functionality of the entire ecosystem, which just makes it easier for that ecosystem to stop working."
This arrest in Indonesia is not the only crackdown on illegal wildlife trade. Near the India-Nepal border, a wildlife trafficker was arrested after a decade. Earlier this year, a global operation led by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization rescued 20,000 live animals and arrested 365 suspects in one sting.
Protecting tigers and other endangered species takes a collective conservation effort. Panthera is one group working with local groups to protect tigers by protecting habitats, using new technology, coordinating anti-trafficking efforts, and providing advanced training.
Conservation efforts have had some success, as trail cameras in Thailand saw three tiger cubs playing.
"Continued political support, strong community partnerships, funding and conservation efforts are needed to ensure these small cubs have the conditions they need to thrive," said the World Wildlife Fund.