A recent survey of wildlife in Malaysia indicates that there is still hope for the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros.
The survey, conducted in a region commonly known as the center of Borneo in May last year, identified tracks of at least 13 Sumatran rhinoceroses.
The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest rhinoceros species in the world and is on the brink of extinction. It is estimated that only about 300 Sumatran rhinoceroses remain globally.
On the Malay Peninsula, very few of these rhinoceroses still exist, as many have fallen victim to poachers or have died in inadequate captivity.
It was believed that the Sumatran rhinoceros had gone extinct across the island of Borneo; however, scientists from Malaysia’s Sabah state on the island believe they have discovered a group of rhinoceroses that have not been affected by poachers.
The World Wide Fund for Nature states that the 13 Sumatran rhinoceroses identified could form a viable breeding population if they are carefully protected.
Previous estimates suggested that the population of Sumatran rhinoceroses in Sabah was between 30 and 70 individuals. WWF specialists and Sabah officials are now implementing measures to protect the rhinoceroses in the area where they were found.
It is known that rhinoceros horns are valued similarly to gold and are highly sought after for traditional medicine in Asia.
