Christmass Miracle. A photograph of the healthy young female Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) named Puntung taken by BORA’s Field Coordination and Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Zainal Zahari Zainuddin in her temporary enclosure after she was treated for minor abrasions, note dark patches that were medicated. Photo credit BORA/Dr. Zainal Zahari Zainuddin.
Since 1996, the Sumatran Rhino has been listed as being Critically Endangered, which is one step away from extinction in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List.
Christmas Miracle – Healthy Female Rhino Found in Tabin
There is Christmas joy in the jungle on 24th December 2011, as a healthy young female Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) has been safely translocated within Tabin Wildlife Reserve (TWR) on the East Coast of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA) and the SWD’s special Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) captured the rhino, named Puntung, in a joint operation.
“This is a fantastic gift for our uphill battle in ensuring the survival of this truly unique species and wonderful timing with Christmas, a time to give thanks for our blessings,” said an elated Dr Laurentius Ambu the Director of the SWD.
Capturing and translocating Puntung was done after months of observation and careful planning to ensure her safety by the dedicated field staff of SWD, BORA and WRU.
“We have monitored her since 2007, and there is no sign that any other rhino has entered her range in the past five years. This is a stark indication that so few rhinos remain that they are simply not meeting for reproduction,” elaborated Dr. Junaidi Payne the Executive Director of BORA.
Puntung had been specifically targeted since early 2010 as the mate for a middle-aged, lone male rhino named Tam, who was rescued from an oil palm plantation in August 2008 and cared for since then in the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary (BRS).
“We know all too well that the Sumatran Rhinoceros is on the brink of extinction with only definite signs of breeding in the wild over the past decade here in Sabah and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. However, this rate is still far too low to ensure its survival which is why we have initiated this captive breeding programme,” said Payne.
A key component of the State Action Plan to ensure the continued existence of the Sumatran Rhino in Sabah includes captive breeding of the rhinos within a large enclosed area covering 20 hectares of natural forest located within TWR. This area is now known as the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary (BRS) and is managed by the State Government.
The BRS Programme is also in touch with a similar programme underway in Sumatra, Indonesia. While all possible efforts are being made to ensure that natural breeding is prioritised, advanced reproductive technologies, some yet to be developed, will be needed to boost the number of Sumatran rhinos being born as well.
“This is now the very last chance to save this species, one of the most ancient forms of mammal. We need collaboration and support in our efforts to prevent the extinction of this unique species that was once found in abundance,” said Laurentius.
The Director also commended, Sime Darby Foundation and WWF for providing funding support and the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Berlin) for technical assistance on rhino reproduction.
He also praised the commitment of all three teams as they are expected to be working throughout the holidays to ensure that Puntung’s safety and well-being as she adjust to her new surroundings.
"The Wildlife Rescue Unit Rangers are also here in Tabin working tirelessly with BORA and SWD Rangers in making sure that Puntung is well taken care of and remains in good health," said Dr.Laurentius.
Laurentius also thanked the Malaysian Oil Palm Council and the Shangri-La Rasa Ria for funding and supporting SWD’s WRU which acts as the rapid action force his Department.
“The success of this undertaking today was a small part of the bigger group of government, non government and institutes working together to ensuring the survival of the Sumatran Rhino. This cannot be done alone by one agency and we are thankful to have such support,” said Laurentius.
Since 1996, the Sumatran Rhino has been listed as being Critically Endangered, which is one step away from extinction in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List.
The female rhino, aged between 10 and 12 years old, was caught on December 18, 2011 and is being kept in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah on the Malaysian area of Borneo island where it is hoped it will breed with a lone captive male.
"All of us in Sabah are relieved that we have been able to capture this rhino after almost a year-and-a-half," Junaidi added.
"This is now the very last chance to save this species, one of the most ancient forms of mammal," Laurentius Ambu, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said in a statement.
Puntung had been specifically targeted since early 2010 as the mate for a 20-year-old, lone male rhino named Tam, who was rescued from an oil palm plantation in August 2008.
"It is an ideal age for breeding. Puntung and Tam are being kept in adjacent paddocks. They can see each other and there is some communication," Payne said.
Previous attempts in the 1980s and 1990s to breed Borneo Sumatran rhinos failed but Payne said he was "cautiously optimistic" the latest captive breeding programme would succeed.
The critically endangered Sumatran rhino is a mostly solitary animal except for courtship and rearing young.
Payne said the main threat to the survival of species "is there are so few and they do not mate in the wild."
The breeding programme is important because it is estimated only between 30 and 50 of the Borneo sub-species of the Sumatran rhinos are known to remain in the wild in Borneo -- a vast island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
It is distinguished from other Sumatran rhinos by its relatively small size, small teeth and distinctively shaped head.
Payne attributed the sharp decline in the population to previously being hunted for use in traditional Chinese medicine.
"My opinion is that palm oil plantations are not the main source of threat because there are significant potential rhino habitats in the natural forests in Borneo," he said.
Only 150 to 300 Sumatran rhinos are known to exist in the wild, making it one of the world's most endangered species, with only small groups left on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the north of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia.
Merry Christmass 2011 everybody.
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