Weeks after its discovery in Borneo, rare Sumatran rhino dies

The female rhino, named Najaq, suffered from a severe infection from wounds believed to have been inflicted by poaching traps, World Wildlife Fund Indonesia (WWF-Indonesia) spokesman Nyoman Iswarayoga told the Associated Press.

According to reports, an estimated 100 Sumatran rhinos remain, mostly in Sumatra, and nine are in captivity. On Tuesday, the International Rhino Foundation, which is a partner in the countrys existing Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, lamented the captured rhinos death in a Facebook post and suggested that it might have been prevented had the animal been taken to the established facility:“Our hearts are saddened by this devastating news from Kalimantan.

It was the first physical contact environmentalists had made with a Sumatran rhino in the region for 40 years after it was assumed the animal was long extinct. The capture was hailed as a milestone by conservationists, as it is believed that the species had been extinct in the area for over 40 years.

Najaq succumbed to a leg infection after her health deteriorated over the past few days, Indonesia’s environment minister said.

She had been caught in a pit trap last month.

Now conservationists say the female rhino, which raised hopes that the species still roams the forests, has died. The Ministry said that a postmortem examination is being carried out to determine the official cause of death. The species is severely threatened due to the loss of habitat caused by deforestation and mining, and illegal wildlife trade.

There were once Sumatran rhinos all over Borneo but their numbers have dwindled dramatically, with poaching and the expansion of mining and plantation operations considered the main reasons for the decline. All of them are in Indonesia, in either Kalimantan or the island of Sumatra.

The rare Sumatran rhino is the only Asian rhino with two horns.

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WWF Indonesia Director of Conservation Arnold Sitompul said, “This [death] demonstrates the threats faced by the Sumatran rhino and underscores why we need to continue our efforts with the strong support of the government and other experts to save the remaining population of Sumatran rhinos in the area”.