Borneo Rhino Alliance

BORA is an NGO which is dedicated to uniting partners in a concerted campaign to save the Sumatran Rhinoceros from extinction.

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Critically-ill Sumatran rhino Puntung on road to recovery following surgery

Staff help out with caring for Puntung, the critically-ill Sumatran rhino. Pix courtesy of Sabah Wildlife Department.

By Olivia Miwil, New Straits Times, 19 April 2017

KOTA KINABALU: Puntung, one of three remaining Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia which was reported to be critically-ill last month, is recovering following surgery this morning.

Sabah Wildlife department director Augustine Tuuga said the female rhino underwent a two-and-a-half hour operation to extract two molars and a premolar from the upper left side of her jaw, which had been causing a severe abscess.

The surgery was performed by veterinary dentist Dr Tum Chinkangsadarn from Thailand, who found that the source of the abscess was a formation caused by an accumulation of bacteria on the severely-calcified molars.

The calcification also loosened two adjacent teeth.

For the past two weeks, Puntung had not shown any signs of recovery, despite being administered antibiotics.

“This was a remarkable and successful operation that came about as a result of global discussion and multi-national collaboration over the past two weeks.

“Sabah thanks Dr Tum and the team who did a fantastic job, as well as Dr Abraham Mathew, senior veterinarian at the Singapore Zoo, who had helped with anaesthesia,” Augustine said in a statement, adding that the department was also assisted and supported by South Africa’s ‘Saving the Survivors’, the Wildlife and National Parks department in Peninsular Malaysia and the Borneo Rhino Alliance (Bora).

He added that the procedure began at 7am, with X-rays taken under sedation for 110 minutes.

“She started feeding two hours after the operation.

“But we are not done yet, as there will be a period of post-operation care, by keeping Puntung clean, stress-free and medicated, including for pain relief,” Augustine added.

Puntung, along with female rhino, Iman, and male, Kertam, are being cared for by Bora at the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Lahad Datu

Read the article on NST Online

 

Puntung improving after successful surgery

A media update from the Sabah Wildlife Department: Wildlife officials and rhino conservationists breathed a big sigh of relief today (19 April 2017) after successful surgery on Puntung, one of only two female Sumatran rhinos still alive in Malaysia. Puntung had been suffering since mid March from an abscess that would not heal despite treatment. Thai veterinary dentist Dr Tum Chinkangsadarn extracted two molar teeth and one premolar from Puntung’s left upper jaw during an operation that in total lasted two hours and twenty minutes on the morning of 19 April.

Puntung feeding again after the surgery

“This was a remarkable and successful operation that came about as a result of global discussion and multi-national collaboration over the past two weeks” said Sabah Wildlife Department Director Mr Augustine Tuuga.

“Sabah thanks Dr Tum and the team who had not worked together before but who did a fantastic job. Dr Abraham Mathew, senior veterinarian from Singapore zoo helped with anaesthesia. Dr Johan Marais and Dr Zoe Glyphis of South Africa based “Saving the Survivors” initiated the planning, advised on procedures and provided major financial support to ensure that the team got together in Tabin. We had vets in attendance and assisting from my Department as well as Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo Rhino Alliance.”

The procedure started at 7 am with X-rays done under sedation. Then Puntung was put under general anesthesia for 110 minutes. Dr Tum noted severe calcification of one large molar, which is where bacteria initially accumulated and led to the abscess. The calcification had also loosened two adjacent teeth.

Borneo Rhino Alliance veterinarian Dr Zainal Z Zainuddin said “We are so relieved and very grateful to Dr Tum, “Saving the Survivors” and the specialist vets who have given Puntung a new lease of life. Incredibly, she started feeding within two hours of the operation ending. But we are not done yet. There will be a period of post operation care which will mean trying to keep Puntung clean, stress-free and under medication including for pain relief.”

Puntung being prepped for surgery

 

A closer look at the extracted molars

Scientists keep skin cells hoping to clone Sumatran rhinos in future

One of three left: Filepic of Tam, the only remaining male Sumatran rhino in Malaysia, in his enclosure at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

By Stephanie Lee, 10 April 2017, The Star Online

KOTA KINABALU: Scientists are keeping the skin cells of Sabah’s three remaining Sumatran rhinos in the hope of using future tech­nology to breed the threatened species.

Borneo Rhino Alliance (Bora) executive director Datuk John Payne said Sumatran rhinos in Sabah are considered extinct in the wild and with only three left in captivity, Sabah alone is not able to save them.

He added that advanced techno­logy would be able to use the skin cells and turn them into eggs or sperms, before they are transformed into induced pluripotent stem cells for the creation of an entire animal eventually.

“Prevention of extinction can only happen if all authorities with Sumatran rhinos under their jurisdiction are willing to collaborate on a programme to boost birth rate.

“That means Malaysia – which is ready at Sabah and national levels – along with Indonesia at central level plus Aceh and East Kalimantan provinces must work together,” he said.

All three rhinos in captivity – a male called Tam and two female, Puntung and Iman – are being cared for by Bora at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in the east coast of Lahad Datu district.

Wildlife experts’ attempts to get Puntung and Iman to mate with Tam were unsuccessful as the female rhinos have cysts lining their uteruses.

The cysts are resistant to treatment.

Puntung is also suffering from a life-threatening infection.

Payne suggested surrogacy involving Indonesian rhinos, or other rhino species if Indonesia is not interested.

He said the number of wild rhinos, except maybe in Aceh mountains, were too few to be viable if left in the forests.

“That fact should be obvious but has been ignored over the past 40 years,” he said.

The skin cells of the Sabah Sumatran rhinos are currently cultured in laboratories.

Read original article here 

Puntung showing improvement, but authorities aren’t celebrating yet

By OLIVIA MIWIL – April 10, 2017 @ 12:32pm, NST Online

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department is not in the mood to celebrate just yet, although its critically-ill Sumatran rhino, Puntung, is showing signs of improvement.

Puntung, one of only three Sumatran rhinos left in Malaysia, condition reportedly showed signs of improvement over the weekend. Pictures courtesy of Sabah Wildlife Department.

Puntung, one of only three Sumatran rhinos left in Malaysia, had suffered from a potentially dangerous abscess on her upper jaw two weeks ago.

Her condition reportedly showed signs of improvement over the weekend.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said Puntung had shown worsening symptoms of loss of appetite, intermittent bleeding from her left nostril and very passive behaviour on Thursday and Friday.

“Normally, she wo consume about 30 kilograms of fresh leaves and twigs daily.

“She ate very little over those two days, and spent most of the daytime lethargic in her wallow,” he said in a statement, adding that they had thought there was no hope left when intermittent bleeding was spotted on her left nostril.

On Saturday, Puntung became more active and the bleeding also stopped.

Augustine, however, said the department remains cautious on her condition despite the recovery signs.

The abscess poses grave concerns as the infection could cause sepsis and eventually death.

The loss of Puntung, would prove to be a catastrophic loss to the future of the species as at 25-years-old, she still has a few years of egg production left to be used for in-vitro fertilisation.

Puntung, along with female rhino, Iman, and male, Kertam, are being cared for by non-governmental organisation Borneo Rhino Alliance (Bora) at the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Lahad Datu.

Bora Executive Director Datuk Dr John Payne said a combination of constant attention, antibiotics, fruits and various supplements may have turned Puntung’s situation around.

Meanwhile, the sanctuary’s manager and veterinarian Dr Zainal Zainuddin said Puntung’s stubborn nature had made their job of treating her more difficult.

“We have been trying to take an X-ray for the past four days but she is irritated not only by pain but by our attention, not least the injections.

“We are in frequent contact with specialist rhino veterinary surgeons in South Africa, but they need to see the radiograph before we can decide how to proceed.”

Concern for Puntung’s declining health

By now, a majority of the public are aware of Puntung’s condition. BORA had not released a statement till now, as we were hoping for Puntung to get better, but sadly she has shown little improvement. All of us here at BORA, are very much affected by this and are doing everything we can to treat her.  We are working round the clock to save one of the world’s rarest and most lovable animals, and will continue to do so.  We are heartened by your support and messages of encouragement. Further updates will be provided soon.

Many newspaper have featured stories on Puntung. You can find some of the links to the coverage below:-

Dire straits: Malaysia could lose Puntung, one of its last three Sumatran rhinos

By OLIVIA MIWIL – April 8, 2017, New Straits Times

KOTA KINABALU: Rescuers have resorted to handfeeding Puntung, one of the last remaining Sumatran rhinoceros, as it has shown no signs of recovery.

It was reported on Wednesday that Puntung has an abscess inside her upper jaw and she was not responding to antibiotic treatment.

Sabah Wildlife department director Augustine Tuuga said the mammal has been sick the past week, and spends most of the time wallowing. She has not been eating much in the past few days.

“When Puntung leaves her wallow at night, she will be handfed with some browse, bananas and mangoes in the forest paddock, up to midnight.

“The veterinarian said she was more perky today but only ate 5kg of browse last night,” he said when contacted today, adding that average daily consumption of browse should be around 15kg but in this instance, even 5kg of browse is fine as it will be able to sustain Puntung for about 38 hours.

Read the full article here

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Sumatran rhino Puntung critically illKOTA KINABALU: Puntung, one of the last three Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia, is reportedly critically ill with an abscess deep on her upper jaw, which has not responded to drainage and antibiotic treatment.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said there is grave concern over Puntung’s health because there are signs that the infection is deep and likely to have spread even deeper.

“We are worried about sepsis, an infection that can spread quickly through the body and rapidly cause death,” he said.

“We estimate that Puntung is around 25 years old. Sumatran rhinos have a life expectancy of around 35 years. Loss of Puntung now would be a tragedy, because she potentially has quite a few years of egg production left,” said Datuk John Payne, the Borneo Rhino Alliance executive director.

“Veterinarian Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin has been caring for Puntung since the day of her capture and he is doing all that are possible to treat Puntung,” he said.

Read the full article here

 

Sumatran rhino extinct in Sabah wild

Saturday, 8 April 2017 – The Star online

Sabah’s Sumatran rhino population has dwindled to just three specimens in captivity, with the animal considered extinct in the wild.

More critically, the two females are unable to bear young.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said there was no indication of any more Sumatran rhinos in the jungles of Sabah.

He said he remained hopeful that breeding efforts using in vitro fertilisation would eventually pay off.

“I am by nature an optimist and always try to see the positive side of every issue,” he added.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said one of the rhinos in captivity, a female called Puntung, was suffering from a life-threatening infection.

Puntung, a male called Tam and another female, Iman, were being cared for by NGO Borneo Rhino Alliance (Bora) at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in the east coast of Lahad Datu district.

Tuuga said they were counting on wildlife veterinarian Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin, who has cared for Puntung since her capture in 2011, to cure the rhino.

Wildlife experts’ attempts to get Puntung to mate with Tam proved unsuccessful as she was found to have an array of cysts lining her uterus. The cysts, which are resistant to treatment, make her unable to sustain a pregnancy.

Read the full article here
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