Good news from the world of Indonesian wildlife!
The Sumatran rhino, one of the world's most endangered animals, joined the Indonesian population last week. The rhino, considered the smallest and hairiest of the five extant rhino species, was born in the sanctuary, marking the fourth birth there.
The newborn female calf, which has yet to be named, weighs approximately 27 kilograms (59.52 pounds). Her birth took place on Saturday at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province, Indonesia.
With black fur growing on its body, the newborn baby rhino was able to stand up about 45 minutes after birth. The next day, it began exploring its forest surroundings, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement.
The rhino calf was born to a 22-year-old mother named Ratu. Ratu is from Lampung province, while her 23-year-old companion, Andalas, was originally born at the Cincinnati Zoo in the midwestern state of Ohio. He was later transferred to the same zoo as Ratu.
The newborn, along with his mother, is in good health thanks to care from the International Rhino Foundation and the Indonesian Rhino Foundation.
This is the third successful birth for the 23-year-old and 22-year-old rhino pair, following the birth of Andatu in 2012 and Delilah in 2016.
With this new birth, the sanctuary's rhino population now stands at nine. This is a very significant increase for the species, as there are only about 80 Sumatran rhino populations worldwide, according to Indonesian government data from 2019.
Indonesia's Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, welcomed the news and hopes for more positive developments for the Sumatran rhino and other protected animals.
The Sumatran rhino, also known by the scientific name Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, is the only species of rhino in Asia that has two horns and can grow to a height of about 5 feet (1.5 meters) and weigh between 1,102 and 2,116 pounds (500 and 960 kilograms).
