Sumatran Rhino news thread

Many Sumatran Rhinos lived the full lifespan of the species in captivity, which is rather surprising to me. Although some died quickly, this could be natural aging, because it was a random capture of animals from dying out populations. Losses are not that higher than an average large ungulate captured in the 1980s. Especially that most other programs with of wild animals pre-select young and healthy animals for capture, which live longer. Stories from the 1980s made it seem like Sumatran Rhinos were dropping dead like flies.

Surprisingly, rarely and shortly a possible breeding pair was ever kept together, either in home range or abroad. As a potential pair I define the simplest: a breeding age male and female without any obvious handicaps, kept at the same time in one institution.

Many institutions kept for many years a breeding-age Sumatran Rhino without a potential partner, rather than sending it elsewhere to create a pair. It mirrors how breeding of elephants and giant pandas in zoos was sporadic for many years.

 

The Aspinall pair were a prime example, I believe -- sound male and non-viable female. Despite the potential disease risk, it might have been better to initially concentrate all the animals in one collection, to get them breeding. Worked with Pere David Deer and Arabian Oryx.

 

But Sumatran rhino isn't a herd animal like those other examples. I think the relevant point was more the suitability of the partners of would-be pairs, as you said, e.g. Port Lympne's female was too old, she was replaced with a second one but again, there seemed to be a problem with fertility. In the USA they nearly all died anyway before they figured out how to keep them healthy, leaving only Emi, Ipuh and the elderly Rapunzel.

The problem they now have at Way Kambas is finding more unrelated animals to breed with the existing ones, two Cincinnati-bred males (brothers) Andalas and Harapan, and the females of reproductive age, which at present is just one(Ratu), with a future one being her daughter(Delilah) and possibly one other that still hasn't bred(Rosa). The fourth female(Bina) is probably way too old now.

 

I take your point about not being a herd animal. However, having all the animals on one site would have facilitated getting physically and psychologically compatible pairs together at the right time. Look at the success Aspinalls and Chester have had with the equally solitary Black Rhinoceros.

 

My understanding is that there is now a fertile female with an injured leg which cannot stand weight of the male mounting her.

I wonder if the injured female can be trained to stand in a crate or a corridor under a suspended sheet or belts just above her back? The male approaching from behind would support his weight on these sheets. I guess Sumatran Rhinos are accustomed to mating in dense jungle so this cramped situation may be normal for them.

Otherwise various prosthesis or crutches may be needed. It would cost enormous money to design, check and custom-fit a prosthesis for a rhino. However, it is often easier to get sponsors for an individual named animal than for a whole species.

 

I think that female is 'Putung' in Borneo. But is she still alive?

 

The first female of the Aspinall pair was aged but also had a leg issues due to a poachers snare, they were very well cared for having a cold room for tropical fruits which were flown in each week, also within the night house also were heated mud wallows in house as well.

 

Is what I thought. I don't know of any other female with a leg injury. They had tried to address the problem of her being unable to support a male's weight during mating using a 'crush' but she died anyway so its irrelevant now.

 

Also, even given a successful mating, she might have had difficulty carrying the extra weight of a pregnancy.
Difficulty is, there are so few animals to work with.
Obviously it would be expensive and difficult, but I wonder if a Californian Condor type effort is called for with this species?

 

They seemed to be bogged down with political bureaucracy. Even getting a positive agreement to send semen from one of the males at Way Kambas in Sumatra to try and fertlise the Bornean female has taken years...Now there is supposed to be another'joint' attempt to remove more animals from the wild and place in protected areas, but everything seems to take years when it really needs to be done NOW.

 

last in the series
The rhino reckoning

 

I believe Indonesian government would prefer them extinct

Indonesian government puts off Sumatran rhino IVF program

 

The WWF is participating in "Sumatran Rhino Rescue" with four other organisations to localise the remaining rhinos and to set up a breeding program. I donated yesterday for this project. Looking at the successes with southern white rhinos and Nepalese greater one-horned rhinos, I still have some hope.

 

A female rhino was caught in Borneo in a pit trap as part of the Sumatran Rhino Rescue. She's been named Pahu and will be brought into captivity from a temporary center in Kelian to breed: First wild Sumatran rhino captured in urgent bid to save species

 

Does anyone have news of Way Kambas Rhino Conservation Centre, following yesterday's tsunami?

Is Pahu now there or still in Kelian?

 

And now it's just been hit by an earthquake.

Indonesia hit by earthquake just 24 hours after tsunami | Metro News

 

Hadn't realised that area was in the firing line.........

Where can we find news of these areas?