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Sumatran rhino baby born in Indonesia park brings hope for its species
The baby was born to rhinoceroses Ratu and Andalas at the Sumatran Rhino Reserve, Way Kambas National Park in Indonesia.
Way Kambas National Park on Southern Sumatra island took to X to share the news about the birth of a rhino calf with the world. They posted about a newborn Sumatran rhino, a species that is sliding into extinction and is considered one of the world’s most endangered species. The national park shared a video and a series of photos of the newborn with its mother.
The park shared the caption in Indonesian which when translated into English reads, “Hello Friends, the birth of a baby Sumatran rhino in the Sumatran Rhino Reserve, Way Kambas National Park (SRS TNWK) yesterday (30/09) extends the story of the two Sumatran rhino lovebirds, Ratu and Andalas.”
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The mom, Ratu, is a local female rhino of Indonesia, reports CNN. The dad, Andalas, who now lives in the national park, is a former resident of Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio. The unnamed Sumatran rhinoceros calf is the third offspring of Ratu and Andalas.
The video shared by the park shows Ratu giving birth to the newborn. It also captures the tiny one trying hard to stand. Towards the end of the clip, Ratu is seen feeding her newborn baby.
Take a look at this video of the mama rhino with her baby:
More about the newborn Sumatran rhino calf
The park also posted two more tweets along with several images of the rhino calf. In one of the posts, they wrote that the child was “normal and quick enough” to be able to stand on her own. They added that the baby could drink its mother’s milk within less than four hours of its birth. The total number of rhinos in the park increased to nine with the birth of the little one. In their concluding tweet, the park added that they wish the mom and her newborn “will continue to be healthy.”
How is this birth important for the species?
Standing at around four to five feet tall and having a body length of nearly 8.2 feet, Sumatran rhinos are considered the smallest rhinos in the world, reports CNN. Habitat loss and hunting are the greatest threats to the survival of the species. Several Indonesian conservationists have expressed their concern over the survival of these rhinos.
“The beacon of hope for the species is the breeding program at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary… that has produced three calves and continues its breeding efforts to create an insurance population of rhinos,” the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) told CNN.
