A Day in the Life: Inside the Morning Routine of Sumatran Rhinos

How a dedicated team of keepers and local community partners care for one of the rarest mammals on Earth every single morning, 365 days a year.

The Wake-Up Call in Way Kambas

Deep in Indonesia’s Way Kambas National Park, as the morning mist begins to clear from the jungle canopy, a very special routine gets underway at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS), the only breeding center for one of the world’s most rare animals. With an estimated 34 to 47 Sumatran rhinos remaining globally, the ten resident rhinos living at the sanctuary represent a vital beacon of hope, an insurance population safeguarding this Critically Endangered species from extinction.

By 7:00 am every morning, the dedicated caregivers at the SRS arrive at the rhinos’ stalls to begin the morning routine. Some rhinos are eager to start the day, waiting patiently at the gates to greet their keepers, while others take their time, lingering deep inside their 10-hectare slice of natural rainforest habitat where they have spent the night browsing and exploring. For these dawdlers, the keepers enter the forest and use fresh, fragrant browse to entice their charges into the stall.

Breakfast 

Next, the keepers prepare a spread of four different types of fresh browse to kickstart the day. Sumatran rhinos have an extremely diverse diet, eating over 170 different types of plants. 

A staple favored by the rhinos is rubber tree leaves and branches. For the SRS rhinos, these are grown and harvested by local community members living just outside Way Kambas National Park. Sourcing feed directly from nearby villages provides direct economic support to local families, uniting the surrounding community around a shared mission: keeping these rhinos safe, healthy and well-fed.

The Wellness Check 

Over the next two hours, keepers guide each rhino through a comprehensive health check and grooming routine, including:

Full Body Physical: Keepers meticulously inspect the rhinos’ skin for scrapes, ticks or any physical changes, and examine their hooves for any problems.

Potty Time & Visual Inspection: Monitoring digestive health is critical. Keepers stimulate bowel movements using warm water, and collect scat in bowls for inspection. (Twice a month, each rhinos’ stool is sent to the lab for a fecal analysis.)

Treats, Pedicures & Supplements: To keep the rhinos relaxed during rectal temperature checks and “pedicures,” keepers feed them favorite treats like bananas and purple sweet potatoes. Daily vitamin supplements are carefully hidden inside delicious bananas.

Horn Care: A soothing, protective ointment is carefully applied around the horn to keep the skin and tissue healthy and moisturized.

Teamwork & Morning Hand-Off

As the wellness checks wrap up, keepers share updates on each rhino over walkie-talkies. Dr. Dedy Pahlawan, the dedicated SRS veterinarian, conducts his rounds to review every update, perform secondary checks and assist with any health concerns.

After two hours of care, the stall doors swing back open into the lush forest sanctuary. Each rhino departs in their own distinct way, for example: 

• Andatu gives his keeper a quick, polite huff goodbye before waltzing back out into his habitat.
• Indra, who is still very young, lingers near his keepers while they clean his stall, hanging out just a bit longer before wandering off for the day.
• Harapan heads to the jungle quickly, briefly pausing for another morning snack of browse before walking the perimeter of the habitat and ultimately retiring to a rejuvenating mud wallow.

365 Days a Year

Rain or shine, weekends or holidays, the devoted SRS keepers repeat this exact routine every single day of the year, doing their part to ensure this highly imperiled species has a fighting chance. 

Make a donation to the International Rhino Foundation in support of the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary today. Your donation will provide veterinary and husbandry equipment to care for the rhinos including medications and staff salaries, food and water for the rhinos and materials to expand the sanctuary.