Some animals are harder to photograph than others, which is why, when he finally managed to capture images of the rare and elusive Sumatran tiger in the wild, Vladimir Cech Jr leapt for joy.
“It was such an explosion of joy that the guys from rangers thought something had bitten my ass, because of how quickly and unexpectedly I jumped into the air while looking at the display,’ he says. “After the great joy came a pleasant feeling of satisfaction.”
Into the jungle
Found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, due to poaching, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.
With notable exceptions (Steve Winter, Paul Hilton…), few photographers have been able to take pictures of them in the wild.
Cech Jr spent four years on his mission, which he named Project Harimau, working in and around the heavily rainforested Gunung Leuser National Park in Northern Sumatra, using a series of camera traps (cameras triggered by animal movement).
"It was very demanding, from the organisation to the natural hazards of the jungle, weather and animals,” Cech Jr explains.
“I’d been planning this for years, but the actual realisation came just before the global Covid pandemic, which made the whole thing extremely complicated.
"I decided to take a risk and overcome all the pitfalls that accompanied the preparations and the journey itself, and set out for my ‘striped dream’ in Sumatra. I didn’t want to give up and I found a way.”
A rare tiger
Cech Jr collaborated with the Czech-Indonesian non-profit Justice For Nature, which at the time was restoring land originally covered with rubber plantations in Sumatra, as well monitoring wildlife.
Sumatra has severe issues with deforestation, including illegal logging and palm oil plantations, and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. “The real threats to Sumatran tigers today are not only deforestation or poaching, but also corruption within state authorities,” says Zuzana Koloušková, vice chairman of Justice for Nature.
“The devastating process caused by massive deforestation for oil palm plantations is drastic, and corruption within government institutions contributes to it," says Koloušková. "Based on my many years of direct experience in the region, I can say that Indonesia is unable to confront the threats to its environment and biodiversity.
"But the greatest threat to tigers remains traditional Asian medicine, specifically the demand for tiger bones and other parts of their bodies.”
The number of Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild is unknown. “It’s very difficult to estimate the number, but given the fact that their habitat continues to shrink and poaching persists, I wouldn’t be very optimistic,” says Koloušková. “My guess is very cautious and does not exceed more than 400 individuals in the wild.”
Justice For Nature’s experiences in Indonesia were not positive. Their Green Patrol team still monitors tigers in Sumatra but the organisation has “shifted the entire concept to Costa Rica, where everything is legitimate and there is no risk of losing established reserves,” Koloušková explains.
A plethora of live
Cech Jr’s camera traps also documented other fascinating and endangered wildlife species that live in North Sumatra, including the Sumatran serow, the Sumatran sun bear and the banded linsang.
He hopes that his images, which involved patient trial and error, near misses and disappointments, can bring attention to the threatened region and its wild residents.
“Photos like these should have great value for everyone who truly cares about nature conservation and doesn’t see it as just an excuse for ego and ‘likes’-chasing,” Cech Jr says.
“These are unique images of a critically endangered species, the Sumatran tiger, which is practically only known from lower quality images from trail traps taken by local NGOs.
"These sharp, detailed and colourful pictures can help to raise awareness about this amazing subspecies of tiger and other animals that live in this area.”
For more information, visit Vladimir Cech Jr's website and Instagram page.
All images taken by Vladimir Cech Jr.
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