New Birth of a Sumatran Rhino in Captivity Sparks Hopes for the Survival of the Species

With all of the chaos happening around us at any given moment, it can be hard to find a silver lining. We have a story that is bound to put a smile on your face and it involves the most adorable baby Sumatran rhino! 

The Indonesian government announced on Monday that an endangered Sumatran rhinoceros gave birth! When this species of rhino is born they’re quite hairy and relatively small for rhinoceros’. At the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, a 22-year-old rhino named Ratu gave birth to a 59-pound baby this fall.

The fuzzy newborn gazed around at its surroundings, taking in the brave new world. 

It didn’t take long for the precious baby to start exploring her environment. According to local experts, she was in the jungle walking around the following day. The new arrival increases the species’ captive total to 10. Estimates place the population in the wild to be less than 50. 

This makes the Sumatran rhino the most endangered species on the planet. The announcement of the birth is incredible news and shows signs that the species may be able to reverse their endangered status one day. 

Due to the assistance offered by the International Rhino Foundation and the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia, the mom and the infant calf are doing well. It’s not uncommon for Sumatran rhinos to perish during adolescence, but all signs are pointing to survival! 

The mother rhino and her mate have now successfully given birth to three calves, making a huge impact on their species. 

How Indonesia Is Saving a Species

2018 saw the announcement by Indonesia of a proposal to expand the effective breeding program of Sumatran rhinos. The rhinos in their natural environment are still disappearing, and the rhinos in captivity are becoming more interconnected, which makes the situation more serious. 

Though there is optimism for every new calf delivered in captivity, there are still significant issues. For starters, all of the male rhinos that are captive are closely related. The group has attempted to find more of this species in the wild, but with such low population numbers, it’s a hard task to complete.

Siti Nurbaya, Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, has this to say about the most recent birth of a Sumatran Rhino: 

“This news is certainly happy news, not only for the Indonesian people but also for the world. I give my highest appreciation to the parties involved in the birth of this Sumatran rhino. Hopefully, we can continue to receive happy news from the births of Sumatran rhinos and other protected animals in the future.”

Here’s to the future of an essential species!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Alan, user wAlanb on Flickr / Creative Commons – License / Original