The Javan Tiger and the Meru-Betiri Reserve by John Seidensticker

Named after the highest mountain in the area, Gunung Betiri, the park consists of one of the last large areas of lowland rainforest on Java. Amongst this are mangroves, lowland swamp forest and beach formations.

It is from this reserve that continued reports of Javan tigers persist. These claims come from park staff and locals, but some experts suspect they are erroneous leopard sightings. In 1972 only seven Javan tigers were known to be Meru Betiri, and even as it was declared a reserve, (that very year), the area was under attack by agricultural development. A 1979 census located the tracks of only three tigers. Since that time all reports have been unable to be substantiated. It took until 1997 for the government to declare the area a National Park. These actions were far too late for the Javan tiger.

Experiments are to be carried out using infrared remote cameras as this would seem to be the only likely method of locating any tigers. Authorities are prepared to move several thousand natives from the local area if required. For these people the park provides honey, bamboo, rattan, wood, grass, food and 300 different types of medicinal plants.


The Javan Tiger and the Meru-Betiri Reserve by John Seidensticker
Series: A World Wildlife Fund report
Unknown Binding: 166 pages
Publisher: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (1980)
Language: English