History has been made at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia, where Ratu has reportedly given birth to a healthy male calf!
Widodo Ramono from the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary told AFP that the baby was born on Saturday, June 23rd.
Ratu gave birth a male baby at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday. Both the mother and the baby are all very well.
With fewer than 200 Sumatran rhinos surviving in Indonesia and Malaysia, this monumental event is one of the most significant advances in the ex situ conservation effort for this critically endangered species. It is the first time a Sumatran rhino has been born in a captive setting in Indonesia.
Ratu has been receiving around-the-clock care from her primary veterinarian, and is also being monitored by a team of rhino experts from several continents, including veterinarians from the Cincinnati Zoo.
Ratu receiving a check-up:
The calf’s father, Andalas, was born at Cincinnati Zoo in 2001; he was the first Sumatran rhino to be born in captivity in 112 years and his new calf is the fourth.
The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary was opened in 1997 by the International Rhino Foundation, and is maintained in partnership with the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia and Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia Ministry of Forestry.
Recent video of a very pregnant Ratu:
Learn more about how you can help Sumatran rhinos at the International Rhino Foundation.
Photo © Bill Konstant, 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.