Sumatran Rhinos Are Extinct In Malaysia

Except for a couple of female rhinos caught in 2011 and 2014 for "captive breeding programs", Malaysia has never seen a wild Sumatran rhinoceros since 2007. Scientists feel that it is now extinct, according to discovery.

This fact has been recorded in the conservation journal 'Oryx' after an experiment was conducted by scientists led by the University of Copenhagen's Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate.

Once the rhino ranged most of Southeast Asia, however, now there are just 100 animals in Indonesia and nine in captivity.

"It is vital for the survival of the species that all remaining Sumatran rhinos are viewed as a metapopulation, meaning that all are managed in a single program across national and international borders in order to maximize overall birth rate. This includes the individuals currently held in captivity," the paper's lead author, University of Copenhagen PhD student Rasmus Gren Havmoller, said in a press release.

Researchers have proposed the creation of "management zones," into which they can be shifted for protection. The nine rhinos are distributed across various facilities. One is held in the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States, though it will soon be relocated to Indonesia. Three are in Sabbah, Malaysia and the remaining five are in a rhino sanctuary in Sumatra, Indonesia. Hopefully, the Sabbah rhinos will produce embryos through in vitro fertilization.

"Serious effort by the government of Indonesia should be put to strengthen rhino protection by creating Intensive Protection Zone, intensive survey of the current known habitats, habitat management, captive breeding, and mobilizing national resources and support from related local governments and other stakeholders," said Widodo Ramono, a co-author of the paper and director of the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia.

"The Sumatran rhino-often called the "hairy rhino" because of its unique reddish-brown fur-is one of Asia's most unusual animal treasures. It is the smallest rhino species and a holdover from prehistoric times; it's the last representative of the mostly extinct Wooly Rhino family," according to newsweek.