Sumatra, Part 5: Tiger on the highway

<p>The wildlife rich island of Sumatra is experiencing a road building boom, causing some of its iconic creatures to be seen by construction workers: a photo of a Sumatran tiger crossing a highway work-site went viral this summer, for example. </p> <p>This smallest of all tiger subspecies still needs its space despite its stature: up to 250 square kilometers for each one's territory. A single road cut into their forest habitat encroaches on these key areas, where less than 400 of these critically endangered animals persist.</p> <p>Road building creates access to impenetrable forests that are home to all kinds of creatures, though, enabling illegal hunting and fragmenting habitats.</p> <p>To discuss the impact of - and alternatives to - such infrastructure projects as the billion dollar Trans-Sumatran Highway, we reached <strong>Hariyo “Beebach” Wibisono</strong>, a research fellow at the San Diego Zoo Global & director of SINTAS Indonesia, plus <strong>Bill Laurance</strong>, a distinguished professor at James Cook University, who is also head of ALERT, the Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers and Thinkers.</p> <p>Related reading:</p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/tiger-sighting-sumatra-highway-deforestation-fragmentation-indonesia/"> Tiger on the highway: Sighting in Sumatra causes a stir, but is no surprise</a></li> <li><a href= "https://news.mongabay.com/2018/04/chinas-belt-and-road-poised-to-transform-the-earth-but-at-what-cost/"> China’s Belt and Road poised to transform the Earth, but at what cost?</a></li> <li>Batang Toru: <a href= "https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/landslide-quake-hydropower-dam-tapanuli-orangutan-habitat-nshe-batang-toru/"> Worker feared dead as landslide hits quake-prone dam in orangutan habitat</a></li> </ul> <p>Please invite your friends to subscribe to Mongabay Explores wherever they get podcasts.</p> <p><strong>We now offer a free app</strong> <a href= "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1524511006">in the Apple App Store</a> and <a href= "https://play.g