She is small, hairy and spends a lot of time sleeping. A female Sumatran rhinoceros has just been born in Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia. His mother, Rosa, gave birth as part of a breeding program to save the species, which is in serious danger of extinction. In more ways than one, this birth is a true miracle.
Rosa gave birth to this female on March 24, 2022, after 476 days of pregnancy. And the least we can say is that it was to be expected. The young mother was caught in the wild in 2005 to participate in a breeding program. But since then she has experienced eight natural pregnancy terminations, reports West France†
The birth of her calf at Way Kambas National Park in southern Indonesia was welcomed as another sign of hope for the endangered species. “This birth is great news in the context of efforts by the government and its partners to increase the population of this species,” This is reported by the Indonesian Ministry of the Environment in a statement. The institution shared images of the newborn on its Twitter account, which you can check out below:
A species that is “critically” threatened with extinction
Thanks to the arrival of this baby, the Way Kambas sanctuary now has eight Sumatran rhinoceroses. Andatu, the father of this little female, was also born in this reserve, thus welcoming the first birth of Sumatran rhinoceroses in a reserve in 120 years, recalls West France†
And if these animals are captured today to reproduce in this environment, it’s because they are among the most endangered on Earth. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinoceroses in the world. This species, the smallest species of rhinoceros, is classified “critically endangered” extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their numbers have continued to decline, mainly due to the destruction of their habitat by human activities, as well as hunting, as part of the illegal trade in their horns.
The arrival of this female is really good news for the survival of the species. As a reminder, Indonesia is also fighting to save another endangered species, the Javan rhinoceros.