Birth of Critically Endangered Sumatran Rhino Breathes Hope Into Species Survival
Fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos exist across Indonesia. The species once flourished in large numbers throughout Southeast Asia
A baby Sumatran rhinoceros — a species that is critically endangered — was born Saturday at the Way Kambas National Park in Indonesia.
This is the third successful birth derived from a local female rhino named Ratu and Andalas, a former resident of Ohio’s Cincinnati Zoo, CNN reported.
The birth of the unnamed female calf offers a sliver of hope “not just for Indonesia but for the rest of the world,” Indonesia's environment and forestry minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar told CNN.
According to the International Rhino Foundation, fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos exist across Indonesia. The species once flourished in large numbers throughout Southeast Asia.
The species was officially declared locally extinct in neighboring Malaysia in 2019.
The species has depleted due to illegal poaching and habitat loss. It’s rare that one will see a Sumatran rhino as their habitat loss has caused them to reside in dense jungle areas.
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“As this reclusive species seems to disappear further into dense jungles, direct sightings have become rare, and indirect signs like footprints are getting harder to find,” the IRF told CNN.
The baby Sumatran weighed in at 60 pounds after her birth. Wasting no time, within 45 minutes the calf was able to stand on her own and she began feeding within four hours after her natural birth.
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