Extinction Watch - Last Captive Male Sumatran Rhino Dies

Last week the last captive male Sumatran rhino died at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Borneo.  Estimates suggest that the entire population of Sumatran rhinos existing in the wild range between 30 and 80 individuals.  

Sumatran Rhino Rescue

On Sumatra, populations are thought to be isolated as their habitats have fragmented into smaller pockets due to deforestation. The result is inbreeding and means that genetically these sub-populations have a bleak future. 

Low population sizes, few rhinos living close together and the isolation of viable habitats have combined with fatal consequences for the Sumatran rhino. If females don’t regularly mate, they have a tendency to develop uterine cysts and growths. This is what conservation biologists refer to as an “Allee effect”: the lower a population becomes, the less successful individuals become at reproducing. Ultimately, this leads to an extinction vortex.

Conservationist believe that the only way to save this species is through the collection of as many of the remaining rhinos as possible into sanctuaries, where they can be protected and breeding managed.  This isn't an ideal solution, but considering the difficulty of protecting the limited population in the wild, sanctuaries appear to be the only way to preserve the species.

“This is our last opportunity to raise the profile of this lesser-known species of rhino and preserve over 20 million years of evolutionary history,” said Jonathan Baillie, executive vice president and chief scientist at the National Geographic Society. “Now is the time to take action together.”

The coalition hopes to build two new sanctuaries for them, one in Indonesian Borneo, and another in Sumatra. As of now, there’s only one, the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, which was built by the International Rhino Foundation in Way Kambas National Park.

There, they hope to build on what’s been learned by past failures and successes when it comes to captive breeding of Sumatran rhinos, and hopefully more births will soon come.

There is a plan and a coalition of government and conservation organizations focused on this effort.  You can read about and donate to this cause at Sumatran Rhino Rescue.