Rhino Born at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary Gives Birth to Her First Calf
November 26, 2023Indonesia’s second historic rhino birth of the year at the Way Kambas National Park facility
Release via:
Plt. Kepala Balai Taman Nasional Way Kambas
Hermawan – +085775904734
JAKARTA, INDONESIA, November 25, 2023 – The Government of Indonesia has announced the second rhino birth within two months at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province on November 25, 2023.
Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya, announced that first-time Sumatran rhino mom, Delilah, gave birth to a healthy male calf. “We are grateful for the fifth birth at [the] SRS,” said Minister Siti. Including the female calf born earlier this year, there are now ten Sumatran rhinos living at the semi-wild breeding and research facility.
The sire of the calf is Harapan, a male Sumatran rhino born at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, in the United States. This is also Harapan’s first offspring.
“The Sumatran rhino breeding program has never been in a better position,” said Nina Fascione, the International Rhino Foundation’s (IRF’s) executive director. “Two years ago there was only one captive Sumatran rhino pair in the world able to successfully produce offspring. Now there are three pairs – six rhinos – who are proven breeders. Those are much better odds for the long-term survival of this species,” said Fascione. “Congratulations to the Government of Indonesia and the entire SRS team on this birth and the tremendous growth of this conservation breeding program.”
In 2016, Delilah became the second calf ever to be born at the Way Kambas SRS. Now, she is also the first captive-born Sumatran rhino to give birth, a significant milestone for the breeding program.
The Government of Indonesia’s Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, is managed by the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia (Yayasan Badak Indonesia, or YABI), whose veterinarians and animal care staff will closely monitor Delilah and her calf while they bond. “Going forward, the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia continues to be committed to assisting and fully supporting the programs and efforts of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, especially in rhino conservation efforts in Indonesia,” said Jansen Manansang, executive director of YABI.
The goal of the breeding program at the SRS is to eventually supplement the declining wild population. In the future, rhinos born at the SRS could be released back into their natural habitat, according to Satyawan Pudyatmoko, Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE) KLHK.
“You never know if a first-time mom will know what to do, but Delilah brought that calf into the world and started nursing it with no fuss or fanfare. It’s an incredible event that gives hope to the future of this critically endangered species,” said Fascione. “IRF would like to thank the Government of Indonesia, YABI, and our partners and donors around the world for their continued efforts to save the Sumatran rhino.”
For photos courtesy of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, please click here.
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About the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS): For more than 32 years, the International Rhino Foundation has managed, facilitated and funded conservation initiatives for some of the most threatened rhino populations throughout Africa and Asia. In 1996, in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia, IRF funded the building of the 250-acre Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in partnership with YABI, the MOEF, Way Kambas National Park and Taman Safari International. The SRS is the only facility in Indonesia, and one of only two in the world, to have successfully bred Sumatran rhinos.
For more information, visit rhinos.org
Contact:
Stacy Strother
(202) 350-1610
