Elusive Orang Pendek & Sumatran Tiger Discovery Captured In Groundbreaking Expedition

A UK wildlife research team has made a startling discovery deep in the jungles of Indonesia, capturing what appears to be a Sumatran tiger on camera in an area where the species was believed to be functionally extinct.

The expedition, led by biologist and researcher Carl Marshall, originally set out for Sumatra to investigate reports of the 'Orang Pendek', an elusive primate described as an upright-walking ape, approximately three feet tall. If real, it could be a close relative of modern humans.

The team was working in the Pariangan region on the west of the island, an area long isolated by decades of deforestation and urban development. The scientific consensus has been that the Sumatran tiger was functionally extinct in this part of the island, meaning no confirmed sightings had occurred for years.

Among the team were field researcher and filmmaker Andrew Jackson, primatology expert Richard Freeman, and local guide and researcher Dally Sandradiputra. They deployed motion-activated night-vision trail cameras in the forest to gather evidence of local wildlife. To their astonishment, one of the cameras captured photos and a short video of a tiger.

Carole Baskin, best known for her appearance in the Netflix documentary series 'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness', was thrilled by the discovery, stating, "This discovery is a powerful testament to nature's resilience. It shows that even in seemingly isolated or heavily impacted areas, tigers can find a way to survive - or return - if given the slightest chance. For Sumatran tigers, every remnant forest and every unmonitored corridor matters. This groundbreaking evidence should remind us all that safeguarding these last wild spaces is not only crucial for tigers, but for the entire ecosystem we share."

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Indonesia responded by confirming that "there is no specific tiger study or monitoring project in the Pariangan area of West Sumatra" and that "Pariangan is almost disconnected from those larger forest blocks." Since the jungle here is largely cut off by deforestation, WWF stated they had never placed surveillance cameras in the area to track tigers.

This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the range and population of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, of which there may be as few as 400 individuals remaining in the wild.

Zoologist and Tropiquaria Zoo owner Chris Moiser commented,"This is really good news because the Sumatran tiger is critically endangered, and despite conservation efforts, its numbers are still declining. Finding a population in an area where it hasn't been previously recorded is always positive."

Expedition member Richard Freeman added, "A creature that is highly endangered, and was utterly unknown from the area, except in folklore."

According to Carl Marshall, two possibilities exist, "Against all odds, either the Sumatran tiger has persisted unknown in that area the whole time, or somehow they have crossed the deforested areas and urban sprawl to reoccupy this forest enclave without being seen."

This is not Marshall's first significant big cat discovery. His previous research includes identifying leopard DNA at the site of an unusual livestock kill near Stroud, England, and verifying large feline tracks in the Forest of Dean, which some researchers believe could indicate the persistence of the Eurasian lynx in Britain, despite its presumed extinction.

The team also returned to the UK with intriguing evidence supporting the existence of their primary target, the Orang Pendek. They discovered unusual animal tracks that some experts believe may belong to the mysterious creature. The Orang Pendek has been reported for centuries by locals but remains unrecognised by mainstream science.

Plaster casts of the tracks were sent for analysis by Professor David Chivers, an expert in biological anthropology and veterinary anatomy at the University of Cambridge. Chivers examined the prints and commented, "You can see fingers and a thumb. It looks more like a hand than a foot. If this is complete, well, certainly it would be a hand; it's not long enough to be a foot. It's not a bear's foot, it's like a great ape."

Reports of the Orang Pendek were widely dismissed by scientists until 2003 when archaeologists uncovered fossils of a previously unknown hominid species on the neighbouring island of Flores. Known as 'Homo floresiensis' or 'Flores Man', this ancient human relative stood around three feet tall and is believed to have died out between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago. Its resemblance to Orang Pendek sightings has led some researchers to speculate that the species - or something closely related - could still be alive in remote parts of Indonesia.

Professor Chivers remains convinced, "I'm still sure it's there, but I'm bothered that we can't pin it down."

TV wildlife expert Cliff Barackman backed the expedition's findings, stating, "New species of animals are being discovered all the time, even large animals. To say that all the discoveries have been made is a statement born of hubris."

Summing up the importance of the research, Chris Moiser praised the team's approach, "One of the great things about this expedition is that it set out to investigate a cryptid - the Orang Pendek - but in doing so, it also documented a wide range of wildlife, including the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. This is what modern exploration should be about, and hopefully, future expeditions will take a similarly open-minded approach."

More details of this fascinating expedition can be found in Carl Marshall's book, 'The Cryptozoology of Cats', which is available now. The team's research also forms the basis of an upcoming TV documentary, 'Expedition Sumatra: In Search of the Orang Pendek', which will air later this year on Blaze and Sky History in the UK.