Welcome to West Sumatra, home to the incredible, and Critically Endangered, Sumatran tiger. One of the most powerful ways your kindness helps keep tigers and their forest homes safe and thriving, is by supporting the Tiger Patrol Team. This team of dedicated rangers patrol forests to stop illegal activities like poaching and hunting, and to step in before conflict with nearby villages turns deadly.
Every patrol means tigers protected from danger, and one step further from extinction for their species.
Check out these powerful patrol missions:
Patrol 1: Pasaman Raya Protected Forest
Signs of tiger presence: multiple Sumatran tiger footprints confirmed this area as an active tiger corridor. Worryingly, prints were also found close to village homes, a sign that tigers and people are living in very close range.
Threats identified: evidence of illegal logging and bird trapping activities.
Actions taken: team members spoke with locals about tiger sightings, removed snares from the forest floor, and installed two trail cameras to monitor tiger activity and movement routes.
Why this matters: thanks to your support, this forest corridor is now being watched over. Trail cameras are our eyes in the jungle, giving the team the information they need to protect tigers and villagers before a crisis begins.
Patrol 2: Pasaman Raya Protected Forest
Signs of wildlife: sun bear nests and claw marks, wild boar footprints, and face-to-face encounters with leaf monkeys. Amazing signs this forest is alive and teeming with incredible wildlife.
Threats identified: three active snares discovered.
Actions taken: all three snares were removed. The team also spoke directly with the community, sharing the importance of protecting wildlife and warning against further snaring.
Why this matters: A single snare can end a life in an instant. Not just a tiger's, but any animal unlucky enough to find it. Your support means these traps are found and destroyed before they cause harm. And when the team talks with villagers face to face, it plants a seed that can change behaviour for good.
In addition to patrolling forests, the Tiger Patrol Team responds to conflict situations that threaten the safety of both tigers and people. Human-tiger conflict happens when wild tigers come too close to villages, farms and homes. As forests shrink, tigers are forced closer to people, attacking livestock in a desperate search for food. To protect their livelihoods, farmers sometimes retaliate in harmful ways.
But with your generous help, the Tiger Patrol Team is equipped and ready to respond quickly when there’s a problem. They help villagers protect their farms and livestock, and stop conflicts before they happen.
Here’s a look at two real conflict response missions that your support made possible:
Response 1:
Report: local residents spotted a young tiger entering village land.
Actions taken: the team patrolled the area and used CCTV cameras, drones and trail cameras to track the tiger’s movements. Monitoring eventually revealed claw marks and hair on the perimeter fence, showing where the tiger had made its exit. No further tiger activity was recorded.
Outcome: the area was declared safe. ✅
Take a look at this footage that confirmed the tiger in the area. It's an eerie and powerful reminder of why your support matters so much. You make sure the Tiger Patrol Team can act fast and keep everyone safe.
Response 2:
Report: community spotted a tiger near their homes.
Action taken: the team patrolled immediately. Heavy rainfall had washed away physical signs of the tiger, but a trail camera was installed to keep watch over the area. Community talks were held on how to stay safe around tigers, and how and when to report sightings.
Outcome: no further sightings were recorded. And now, an entire community has the knowledge and tools to stay safe, and avoid dangerous conflict with tigers. ✅
These are real, powerful missions, and every single one of them was made possible by you.
Because of your generosity, rangers are patrolling forests. Snares are being removed. Cameras are monitoring tiger movements. And communities are learning to live safely alongside one of the world's most magnificent animals.
You are the reason this work is possible. Thank you.
Program: APE Protector (Animals, People and Environment)
Location: West Sumatra, Indonesia
Program Partner: This program is a collaboration with our partners at Centre for Orangutan Protection and the Ministry of Forestry 🌳