Small Rhino Population Continues to Survive Despite Poaching
Aug. 2006
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WWF launched a five-year project
to deter the poaching of
endangered Sumatran rhinos.
photo: WWF-Canon /
Alain Compost |
A field survey of the island of Borneo found evidence of at least 13 Sumatran rhinos in the interior of Sabah—called the Heart of Borneo—that have escaped the relentless poaching that is wiping out most of the rhinos in the region. In response, WWF and our partners installed strong protection measures in the areas where the rhinos were found and launched a five—year project called Rhino Rescue, which will organize rhino protection units and other activities to deter poaching.
"If this band of rhinos is to have a healthy future in Borneo, the poaching must be stopped immediately. Their numbers are so small that losing one or two rhinos to a poacher could upset the remaining rhinos' chances of survival," said Sybille Klenzendorf, acting director of WWF's Species program "Conservationists and Sabah government agencies are hopeful that there is a chance to save this group of rhinos and are diligently working to protect them."
In addition to the 13 rhinos found in the interior of Sabah, a region covered with vast tracts of rain forest, a few individuals still survive in other parts of the state that weren't covered in the survey. Previous estimates of rhino numbers suggested there were 30 to 70 rhinos on the island of Borneo. Populations in other parts of the island might be extinct.
There are believed to be fewer than 300 Sumatran rhinos left in the world and they are considered one of the most endangered rhino species because of the intensity of poaching. They are found only in widely scattered areas across peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
"The results from the survey of Borneo's rhinos are crucial additions to our scientific understanding of the species," said Christy Williams of WWF's Asian rhino program. "We believe this population may be viable and could recover if their habitat is protected and the threat of poaching is eliminated."
The survey was conducted by teams of more than 100 field staff from WWF, the Sabah Foundation, the Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Parks, SOS Rhino, Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project, University Malaysia Sabah, and Operation Raleigh.
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