The struggle to breed Sumatran rhinos in captivity (Articles from Mongabay)

Mongabay has published two articles on Sumatran rhino which summarise nicely the story of attempts to save the genus from extinction. Wisely, the articles leave out the doomed attempts (still supported by many conservationists) to keep these rhinos in the wild, knowing that each scattered sub-population was and is too small to ensure survival.

Part 1: From Indonesia to Ohio: the struggle to breed Sumatran rhinos in captivity
By Linda Lombardi
3 November 2016

emi-suci-awesome-copy-baby-suci-and-her-mother-emi-in-their-enclosure-photo-courtesy-of-the-cincinnati-zoo — Rhino calf Emi and her mother Suci in their enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. Photo from the Cincinnati Zoo.

In a desperate attempt to reverse a rapid population decline, a captive breeding program for Sumatran rhinos was launched in 1984. Forty rhinos were successfully moved to zoos and sanctuaries, but researchers soon found their troubles were just beginning. (Read the whole article on Mongabay)

Part 2: From Ohio to Indonesia: captive-bred Sumatran rhinos may be the species’ only hope for a future

By Linda Lombardi

8 November 2016

ratu-and-baby-andatu-courtesy-of-irf — Ratu with baby Andatu, the first calf born at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary. Photo from the the International Rhino Foundation.

With the last of the American-born Sumatran rhinos now living in Indonesia, chances for this critically endangered species are once again firmly rooted in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, researchers in Malaysian Borneo are in an even more desperate race against time. (Read the whole article on Mongabay)