Sumatran Rhinos Are Nearly Gone—New Plan Launched to Save Them
September 20, 2018 – The Sumatran rhinoceros is a critically endangered species. Only around 80 individuals remain. The wild populations are split between the islands of Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo. This isolation of small populations, some as small as one or two individuals, is now the species’ biggest threat.
A coalition of conservation organizations, including the National Geographic Society, has formed to save the species. The project, called Sumatran Rhino Rescue, aims to locate wild rhinos and safely transfer them to a nearby sanctuary. There, scientists and wildlife managers will assist in the rhinos’ reproduction and care. Eventually, when a healthy population exists, the rhinos will be reintroduced into the wild.