The Sumatran Rhino is the smallest of all rhino species. They have been around for millions of years, but their time might be coming to an end. Today, there are less than 100 of these critically endangered rhinos left. … more
Only two left in Malaysia
Salvation through science
Attempts to breed these three rhinos naturally have proven unsuccessful. Tam’s sperm quality is not ideal. Although Puntong and Iman are still producing eggs, they both have reproductive pathologies that have rendered … more
The magic of ficus
The most fundamental biological requirement of all animals is food and water. In the context of Malaysia and Indonesia, we could imagine under a different array of historical and current human attitudes that Sumatran … more
COMMENT: BEYOND HABITAT LOSS AND POACHING
The array of “protected areas” that the Earth will end up with a few decades from now, due to a surfeit of Homo sapiens, are TOO FEW, TOO SMALL, TOO SCATTERED, AND OF MARGINAL SUITABILITY for almost all endangered species. Whether we like it or not, some endangered species will be saved from extinction only if private land owners play a role, in allocating space and resources to help sustain breeding of those species, so that the fate of the Sumatran rhino is not played out again and again.
COMMENT
Barbara Durrant: How a newborn rhino could help to save his subspecies cousins from extinction
Victoria and her new calf are doing well. Edward represents an important step in an effort to save a related white rhino subspecies, but what we learned from his birth could also help Sumatran and Javan rhinos.
PRESS
IVF treatment for Malaysia’s last Sumatran rhino fails, but hope remains
We believe the quality of the sperm was low, and that to continue the IVF treatment effort, we need to try and get sperm from rhinos in captivity in Indonesia.
ARTICLES
Scientists harvest single egg cell from Iman – Malaysia’s last Sumatran rhino
KOTA KINABALU: A single egg cell – that is all that scientists managed to harvest from Malaysia’s last living female Sumatran rhino – Iman. The egg cell (oocyte) was harvested at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu on Monday (Sept 30).