Indonesia Hunts Clues as Study Suggests Javan Tiger May Still Exist 

A Sumatran tiger growls at the Sumatra Tiger Rescue Center compound, inside the Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation (TWNC), near Bandar Lampung, the southern tip of Sumatra island, February 25, 2013. (Reuters)
A Sumatran tiger growls at the Sumatra Tiger Rescue Center compound, inside the Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation (TWNC), near Bandar Lampung, the southern tip of Sumatra island, February 25, 2013. (Reuters)
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Indonesia Hunts Clues as Study Suggests Javan Tiger May Still Exist 

A Sumatran tiger growls at the Sumatra Tiger Rescue Center compound, inside the Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation (TWNC), near Bandar Lampung, the southern tip of Sumatra island, February 25, 2013. (Reuters)
A Sumatran tiger growls at the Sumatra Tiger Rescue Center compound, inside the Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation (TWNC), near Bandar Lampung, the southern tip of Sumatra island, February 25, 2013. (Reuters)

Indonesia is hunting for more clues that the extinct Javan tiger may still exist in the wild, a government official said Tuesday, after a new study suggested links between a DNA-tested hair and the big cat.

The endemic Javan and Balinese tigers were wiped out in the 1980s and 1940s respectively, leaving only Sumatran tigers remaining in the archipelago nation.

Scientists from Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) along with conservationists discovered genetic traces of the Javan tiger in a single hair found near a West Java village in 2019, according to a study published by Cambridge University Press last week.

"The Environment and Forestry Ministry appreciates the research... there are several actions that we are doing and will do to respond to the results," Satyawan Pudyatmoko, head of conservation at the environment and forestry ministry, told AFP.

He said those measures included setting up camera traps, inviting genetics experts to help authorities conduct further research and tests, and collecting community data.

"If, for example, it is proven that it still exists, it will certainly become a protected animal. It is the obligation of all parties, including the society, to participate in preserving their population," he said.

The tiger hair shared similarities with Sumatran and Bengal tigers but was distinct from other tiger sub-species, the researchers said.

The study said a local resident reported a Javan tiger sighting in 2019 at a plantation in a forest near Sukabumi city in West Java province.

A hair was taken from a fence where the big cat was alleged to have jumped, and footprints and claw marks were found, it said.

"Based on our in-depth interview with (resident) Ripi Yanur Fajar, who saw the tiger, we believe the hair is from a Javan tiger," read the study's abstract.

"Whether the Javan tiger still occurs in the wild needs to be confirmed with further genetic and field studies."

Muhammad Ali Imron, head of WWF Indonesia's Forest and Wildlife Program, told AFP he appreciated the researchers' efforts but said hair samples were "very limited" and needed to be confirmed with more samples and other genetic testing methods.

He also expressed concern the findings were made public because of "a risk" of alerting hunters.

The Javan tiger became extinct because of poaching and increasing conflict with humans, authorities say.

Sumatran tigers -- often targeted by poachers for their body parts -- are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 400 believed to be in the wild.



Kate, Princess of Wales, to Present Women's Singles Trophy at Wimbledon

Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
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Kate, Princess of Wales, to Present Women's Singles Trophy at Wimbledon

Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)

Kate, the Princess of Wales, is set to present the trophy to the winner of the women's singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday after opting not to attend the match last year while she was recovering from cancer.

The All England Club said Kate, the wife of Prince William, will be back in the Royal Box on Center Court for the match between eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek and No. 13 Amanda Anisimova. She will then take part in the on-court trophy presentation, The AP news reported.

Kate has been the patron of the All England Club since 2016 and has regularly attended the men's and women's finals. However, she was not there when Barbora Krejcikova defeated Jasmine Paolini for the women's title last year.

She did hand the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz after his victory over Novak Djokovic in the men's final, when she made only her second public appearance since announcing she was diagnosed with cancer.

She has been gradually returning to public duties since since announcing last fall that she had completed chemotherapy, and took part in welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to Britain this week.