Rare Sumatran Rhino Discovered In Borneo

For the first time in over 4 decades a rare species of rhino has been spotted in Kalimantan which is located in the Indonesian part of Borneo. The female Sumatran rhino was caught in a pit trap last month according to World Wildlife Fund which recently announced the discovery. There are only two species of rhino that exist in Indonesia and the Sumatran rhino is one of them.

“This is an exciting discovery and a major conservation success,” said Efransjah, the CEO of WWF-Indonesia. “We now have proof that a species once thought extinct in Kalimantan still roams the forests, and we will now strengthen our efforts to protect this extraordinary species.”

The rhino will be moved to a safe space

WWF has always believed that Sumatran rhinos were not extinct in Indonesia because footprints had been spotted and one had been caught on camera. This particular specimen will be transferred to a protected forest a few hundred miles away. The Sumatran rhino is the smallest of the five species of rhino that roam the planet. The species is covered with patches of stiff hair particularly around its ears.

Solitary animals

This species is dark red in colour and prefers to reside in mountain forest which is dense. The Sumatran rhino is extremely elusive and are usually solitary animals that live on fruit, leaves and twigs. They have the ability to find one another by leaving scent trails which they are able to pick up because they have a keen sense of smell.

One of the rarest animals on the planet

An adult Sumatran rhino can weigh as much as 1,760 pounds (800 kilos) and can reach a length of between 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3.2 metres). The species is extremely endangered and it is estimated that there are only 100 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild, most of which are located on the island of Sumatra which means they are one of the rarest animals on the planet.