Racing against time to save rhinos

The world's last male northern white rhinoceros has died, leaving only two females of its kind. According to the World Wildlife Fund, many other rhino species are also at risk of disappearing forever. Jasia Shamdasani explains why.

A baby southern white rhino with its mother at the Singapore Zoo in 2015. There are now about 20,000 southern white rhinos in the wild. A Sumatran rhino in the jungles of Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah. It was captured in 2008 after wandering into a
Najin and Fatu, the two remaining female northern white rhinos, at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, died at the age of 45 on March 19, after becoming a symbol of efforts to save his subspecies from extinction. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A baby southern white rhino with its mother at the Singapore Zoo in 2015. There are now about 20,000 southern white rhinos in the wild. A Sumatran rhino in the jungles of Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah. It was captured in 2008 after wandering into a
A baby southern white rhino with its mother at the Singapore Zoo in 2015. There are now about 20,000 southern white rhinos in the wild. ST FILE PHOTO
A baby southern white rhino with its mother at the Singapore Zoo in 2015. There are now about 20,000 southern white rhinos in the wild. A Sumatran rhino in the jungles of Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah. It was captured in 2008 after wandering into a
A Sumatran rhino in the jungles of Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah. It was captured in 2008 after wandering into an oil palm plantation. ST FILE PHOTO
A baby southern white rhino with its mother at the Singapore Zoo in 2015. There are now about 20,000 southern white rhinos in the wild. A Sumatran rhino in the jungles of Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah. It was captured in 2008 after wandering into a
The greater one-horned rhino, also known as the Indian rhino, at Chitwan National Park in Nepal. PHOTO: MICHEL GUNTHER/WWF
Jasia Shamdasani
Updated
Apr 05, 2018, 05:41 AM
Published
Mar 29, 2018, 05:00 AM
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

The smallest of the living rhinos and the only Asian rhino with two horns, Sumatran rhinos are covered with long hair. They are threatened by poaching and only two captive females have reproduced in the last 15 years.
Status: Critically endangered
Population: Fewer than 100
Found in: Sumatra and Borneo
What's being done: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is trying to stop poaching and protect its habitat. WWF is looking at moving the rhinos to intensively managed sites and focusing on captive breeding.

Black rhinos have a hooked upper lip, two horns and occasionally a third, small posterior horn.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

ST One Digital

 $9.90/month

No contract

ST app access on 1 mobile device

Subscribe now

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 29, 2018, with the headline Racing against time to save rhinos. Subscribe

Available for
iPhones and iPads
Available in
Google Play

MCI (P) 066/10/2023. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2024 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.

Back to the top