Three critically endangered Sumatran tigers killed in Indonesia; a big blow to species' rapidly declining population

A police officer and local wildlife authorities show the carcass of one of three Sumatran tigers found dead after being caught in traps near near a palm oil plantation in East Aceh, Sunday, April 24, 2022. The deaths of the critically endangered tigers on Indonesia's Sumatra island are the latest setback for a species whose numbers are estimated to have dwindled to about 400, authorities said Monday. - AP

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, April 25, 2022 (AFP): Three critically endangered Sumatran tigers were found dead in western Indonesia on Sunday after being ensnared by traps, police said, dealing another blow to the species' rapidly declining population.

Rampant deforestation has reduced the tigers' natural habitat and increasing conflict with humans has left only several hundred of the endangered species remaining in the wild, according to estimates.