Extremely rare Sumatran rhino born in Indonesia
Offspring of one of the rarest mammal species on earth: a baby Sumatran rhinoceros has been born in an Indonesian national park. The male calf is the second baby rhino to be born this year in Way Kambas National Park in the east of the island of Sumatra, according to the local environment ministry. Since 2012, five rhinos have been born in the park as part of a conservation program.
The mini rhino was born on Saturday on the 460th day of its mother's pregnancy - ten days earlier than the calculated due date. It has not yet been given a name. Its parents are seven-year-old Delilah, who herself was born in the park, and Harapan the bull, who was born at Cincinnati Zoo in the USA in 2007. In 2015, he found a new home in Way Kambas. According to the ministry, no Sumatran rhino has lived outside Indonesia since then.
Only around 80 left
It is the smallest of the five existing rhinoceros species worldwide. Unlike other species, the animals' bodies are hairy. They carry two horns and have a large repertoire of vocalizations, such as squeaking, humming and snorting.
Sumatran rhinoceroses (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) were once widespread in Southeast Asia. Hunting of the animals and the destruction of their habitats have caused the population to dwindle to an estimated 80 specimens today. "This rhino is so rare that few people have ever seen one in the wild," writes the Sumatran Rhino Alliance on its website. Members of the alliance include the Indonesian government, the WWF, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Rhino Foundation.
The birth of the Sumatran rhino calf is a significant event in the field of animal conservation science, as this species is one of the rarest mammals on earth. Additionally, the conservation program in Way Kambas National Park has seen five rhinos born since 2012, contributing to the preservation of Sumatran rhinos in their native habitat, Sumatra.
Source: www.dpa.com
