The first documented Sumatran rhinoceros was shot 16 km (9.9 mi) outside Fort Marlborough, near the west coast of Sumatra, in 1793. In March 2016, a Sumatran rhinoceros (of the Bornean rhinoceros subspecies) was spotted in Indonesian Borneo. Though a number of rhinos died once at the various destinations and no offspring were produced for nearly 20 years, the rhinos were all doomed in their soon to be logged forest. There was little or no information about procedures that would assist in ex situ breeding. The species is much better studied than the similarly reclusive Javan rhinoceros, in part because of a program that brought 40 Sumatran rhinos into captivity with the goal of preserving the species. It is the most vocal rhino species and also communicates through marking soil with its feet, twisting saplingsinto patterns, and leaving excrement. The Sumatran rhino is a mostly solitary animal except for courtship and offspring-rearing. In 2015, researchers announced that the Bornean rhinoceros had become extinct from the northern part of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia) however, a tiny population was discovered in East Kalimantan in early 2016. Survival of the Peninsular Malaysia population is in doubt, and one of the Sumatran populations may already be extinct. Their numbers are difficult to determine because they are solitary animals that are widely scattered across their range, but they are estimated to number fewer than 100. They are now critically endangered, with only five substantial populations in the wild: four on Sumatra and one on Borneo. In historical times, they lived in southwest China, particularly in Sichuan. Members of the species once inhabited rainforests, swamps, and cloud forests in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. A coat of reddish-brown hair covers most of the Sumatran rhino's body. Like both African species, it has two horns the larger is the nasal horn, typically 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in), while the other horn is typically a stub. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although it is still a large mammal it stands 112–145 cm (3.67–4.76 ft) high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of 2.36–3.18 m (7.7–10.4 ft) and a tail of 35–70 cm (14–28 in). It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. This article draws on reports from the Associated Press.The Sumatran rhinoceros, also known as the hairy rhinoceros or Asian two-horned rhinoceros ( Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), is a rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. Learn more about rhinos and how you can help wildlife. Prior to the latest birth, sanctuary staff conducted regular ultrasound exams, using methods developed in Ohio by the Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Reproduction in Endangered Wildlife. The calf’s mother, Ratu, made history in 2012 when she gave birth to her first calf, a male named Andatu. The International Rhino Foundation established the rhino sanctuary where the calf was born in 1997. The horns are trafficked as ornaments or ground into powder and falsely advertised as medicines in China, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. They face destruction of tropical forest habitat and poachers who kill the rhinos for their horns, which are actually the same material as fingernails and hair. Sumatran rhinos are the smallest of the world’s rhinos, and they’re the only species covered in long hair. “While one birth does not save the species, it’s one more Sumatran rhino on Earth.” “We haven’t stopped smiling since the moment we were sure she was alive and healthy,” said Susie Ellis of the International Rhino Foundation. announced critically-endangered Sumatran rhino population has increased by one! /7bNsdh7UKR
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