MEDAN: Two critically endangered Sumatran rhinos in Way Kambas National Park in Lampung are pregnant, raising hopes that the births could help bolster efforts to save a species whose population continues to decline.
The pregnant rhinos are 26-year-old Ratu and her 10-year-old daughter, Delilah, both of which are among 10 Sumatran rhinos housed at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) in the national park.
The SRS is a semi-wild breeding facility managed by the Forestry Ministry in collaboration with the Indonesian Rhino Foundation (YABI). The facility allows Sumatran rhinos to live in a habitat designed to resemble their natural environment, with minimal human interaction, while providing veterinary care and intensive reproductive monitoring.
Ratu is expecting her fourth calf and has been pregnant for about 7.9 months. Delilah is expecting her second calf and has been pregnant for about 8.3 months.
Sumatran rhinos typically have a gestation period of 15 to 16 months, meaning both pregnancies are still several months from their expected births.
Ratu was rescued in 2005 after she wandered out of the forest in Way Kambas National Park to a local village. In 2012, she gave birth to her first calf, a male sired by Andalas, a male Sumatran rhino that had been transferred from Cincinnati Zoo in the United States to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in 2007.
The birth marked a milestone in Sumatran rhino conservation. According to conservation officials, the calf was the first Sumatran rhino born at a semi-in-situ breeding facility in Asia in 124 years.
Ratu later gave birth to two more calves, including Delilah in 2016. Her current pregnancy is also with Andalas. If the calf is born healthy, Ratu would become the first recorded Sumatran rhino to produce four calves, according to conservation officials. The previous record was held by a female at Cincinnati Zoo, which produced three calves.
Delilah gave birth to her first calf in 2023, sired by Harapan, a male Sumatran rhino born at Cincinnati Zoo and transferred to the SRS in 2015. Delilah’s second calf is also sired by Harapan. If the pregnancy results in a successful birth, the calf will be Ratu’s grandchild.
Ahmad Munawir, director of species and genetic conservation at the Forestry Ministry, said the pregnancies of Ratu and Delilah marked an important development in efforts to conserve the Sumatran rhino.
“This achievement did not happen overnight. It is the result of the time, effort and resources contributed by many parties including YABI, the International Rhino Foundation, the Way Kambas National Park authority and private-sector partner Taman Safari Indonesia zoo” he said recently.
Jansen Manansang, head of YABI, said the two rhinos would continue to receive close monitoring throughout their pregnancies.
“Ratu and Delilah will continue to be monitored until they give birth. Our veterinary team at the SRS will ensure that the health of both mothers and the development of their pregnancies are closely monitored,” Jansen said as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
“The intensive monitoring is intended to ensure that Ratu and Delilah can go through their pregnancies safely and give birth to healthy calves,” he added.
The Sumatran rhino is one of three rhino species found in Asia and is considered the smallest of the living rhino species. The species is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with fewer than 80 believed to remain in the wild.
Today, Sumatran rhinos are found only in Indonesia, including the Leuser Ecosystem, Way Kambas National Park, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and parts of East Kalimantan.
The species has been threatened by poaching and the loss and fragmentation of its habitat due to deforestation and human activity.
Breeding in the wild is particularly challenging because Sumatran rhinos are generally solitary and elusive. They also have one of the longest gestation periods among large mammals and typically give birth to a single calf. After birth, a calf can remain dependent on its mother for up to two years before being weaned. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
