In the wee morning hours of May 12, 2016, Ratu, a rare Sumatran rhino, gave birth to a healthy female calf at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia’s Way Kambas National Park.
This is the second successful Sumatran rhino birth at the Sanctuary, with Ratu having her first calf, Andatu, in 2012. His father, Andalas, was born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2001. The birth was attended by Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary veterinarians, keepers and a handful of international advisors.
“We are overjoyed that Ratu delivered a healthy calf and are cautiously optimistic that the calf will continue to thrive,” said Dr. Susie Ellis, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation.
“She’s absolutely adorable, and we haven’t stopped smiling since the moment we were sure she was alive and healthy. While one birth does not save the species, it’s one more Sumatran rhino on Earth.”
The International Rhino Foundation established the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in 1997, and this second birth shows that the expertise exists in Indonesia to contribute to the Sumatran rhino population’s growth.
Sumatran rhinos are critically endangered, with less than 100 individuals still surviving in small, fragmented pockets of tropical forest. Their habitat continues to be destroyed by palm oil production, and like all rhino species, Sumatran rhinos are under constant threat of being killed for their horns.
The International Rhino Foundation established the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in 1997, and operates Rhino Protection Units in two of the four remaining Sumatran rhino strongholds.
Ratu’s pregnancy was first announced on World Rhino Day 2015.
Source: International Rhino Foundation
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.