Researchers claim that Javan tigers, thought to have been extinct fifty years ago, might still exist. Despite doubts from scientists, signs suggest a similar big cat roams Java.
In the past, Indonesia had three tiger types: Sumatran, Javan, and Bali tigers, each on a different island. Sumatran tigers are at risk, while Javan and Bali tigers are believed to be extinct due to hunting and loss of habitats, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Spottings of Javan tigers go back to 1976, and reports of such sightings on Java persist. A new study, published on March 21st in the journal Oryx, seemed to validate this persistence.
The study authors examined a lone hair strand found on a plantation in West Java, suggesting the tiger may still roam the island.
DNA from a recent hair sample matched that of Javan tiger
The DNA extracted from the hair closely resembled DNA from a Javan tiger pelt collected in 1930, housed in a museum, as per the study. Yet, tiger geneticists have voiced doubts about the study’s reliability.
Luo Shu-Jin, an evolutionary geneticist from Peking University in China, shared concerns with Live Science. Her team reexamined the DNA data from the study and identified errors along with possible sample contamination.
The Sumatran tiger was believed to be the only living tiger population in the Sunda Islands in Indonesia. However, in 2022 the Javan tiger was spotted and after genetic analysis of a hair sample, the discovery was confirmed. pic.twitter.com/VMBZTTxIyO
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“The errors may result from various reasons that are impossible to trace based on the information provided by [the study’s authors],” Luo said. “Considering the likelihood of contamination during the production of the putative tiger hair sample and the museum Javan tiger specimen, it is inappropriate to use these sequences to conclude the existence of the Javan tiger.”
Anubhab Khan, a postdoctoral researcher specializing in tiger genetics at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, also reviewed the data.
In a conversation with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) last week, he expressed uncertainty about confirming if the hair originated from a tiger based on the study’s data. However, he informed Live Science he has teamed up with the study authors to perform a new analysis.
Research began after the Javan tiger was seen in August 2019
The new investigation commenced following a report by Ripi Yanur Fajar, a resident and conservationist from Java. In August 2019, Fajar claimed to have witnessed a large cat leaping between a road and a plantation near the village of Cipeundeuy in the forest of South Sukabumi.
Nine days later, researchers visited the site and discovered a hair on a nearby fence, alongside what appeared to be tiger footprints and claw marks.
Following an interview with Fajar in June 2022, the study authors concluded the hair likely belonged to a Javan tiger. Their DNA analysis conducted in the same year seemed to support this hypothesis. However, Luo’s team identified multiple errors in their analysis, as reported by Live Science.
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