There are no longer any rhinoceroses living in the wild in the Malaysian state of Sabah, the environment minister has announced — but not all hope is lost.
The eastern Sumatran rhinoceros, or Bornean rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni), is the world's smallest and most elusive rhinoceros, a subspecies of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), a shy and solitary creature that lives deep in the forests of Borneo.
Or rather, it lived there — because there are no longer any rhinoceroses living in the wild in the Malaysian state of Sabah, according to a statement by Environment Minister Masidi Manjun. In 2008, conservationists estimated that around fifty rhinoceroses lived in the state; five years later there were barely ten; today, in all likelihood, they are extinct.
The decline of the species is essentially linked to two factors: poaching for their horn (a truly disheartening motivation, given that it has no medicinal benefit whatsoever, contrary to popular belief) and habitat loss due to deforestation — primarily to make way for oil palm plantations — and the expansion of human settlements.
Following the death of Puntung, a 25-year-old female who lived in the Borneo sanctuary, only two rhinoceroses now survive in Sabah — a female and a male, Iman and Tam — kept in semi-captivity at the Borneo Rhinoceros Sanctuary (Brs), though they are reportedly unable to reproduce due to health reasons. "There is still hope of saving the species from extinction," said John Payne, director of the Borneo Rhino Alliance and one of the world's leading experts on the species. "The only way to achieve this is to use in vitro fertilisation, since natural reproduction is not possible owing to the health problems of the two females." However, Iman's precarious state of health is complicating conservation efforts for the species, explained Sabah's former Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Masidi Manjun. "Iman is the only remaining female Sumatran rhinoceros in captivity," he said, "so we have to think twice before beginning any experimental treatment." In an effort to preserve the genetic heritage of these ancient animals — the living creatures most closely related to the extinct woolly rhinoceros — the Indonesian authorities have announced their intention to send frozen sperm samples to Malaysia in order to attempt artificial insemination.
The current priority is to preserve Iman's health; she has been affected by a uterine tumour. "Iman is monitored around the clock, but since last July she has lost around fifty kilograms," said Christina Liew, the current Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment of the state of Sabah. Last November, officials from the Indonesian government and the Sumatran rhino rescue, with the support of Wwf Indonesia, caught a female Sumatran rhinoceros that had become trapped on the island of Borneo. The animal, named Pahu, was transferred to a secure facility in Kalimantan and could make a crucial contribution to the captive breeding programme. "This transfer action is an essential first step towards a broader effort to save the Sumatran rhinoceros, which now finds itself in a truly critical situation. The Indonesian government is fully committed — not only to supporting the captive breeding effort currently under way, but to safeguarding the natural habitat of the Sumatran rhinoceros, with the hope of reintroducing a viable population of this species into the wild," explained Indonesian Ministry of Forests and Environment official Wiratno.
These peaceful animals date back to the Pleistocene. They once roamed in great numbers through the forests of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and China, until human beings, from 1930 onwards, began slaughtering them for their horns — which the Chinese had natives procure for them in exchange for porcelain. In response, the rhinoceroses began retreating into the densest and most impenetrable stretches of forest, until humans razed those trees to the ground, allowing poachers to reach even the most remote areas. Another animal is headed for extinction — another notch on the bloodstained rifle butt of our species. Yet there is still hope of saving these mammals, which appeared twenty million years ago, and of ensuring that they continue to roam alone through the jungles of our planet.