Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/sumatran-rhino-gives-birth/

When it comes to the world of conservation, it seems like there’s often more bad news than good.

Species are pushed to the brink of extinction, climate change wreaks havoc on critical ecosystems, and human development threatens to destroy habitats of species in need.

However, there’s some good news coming from Indonesia: an extremely rare Sumatran rhino calf was just born!

According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos left in the world.

One of those rhinos, a female named Rosa, was taken in by a sanctuary in the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary network back in 2004.

Since her time in the sanctuary, Rosa experienced 8 miscarriages. Conservationists were hopeful that she’d eventually carry a full-term healthy pregnancy, but after so many loses, it’s understandable to be discouraged.

However, in 2020, Rosa became pregnant after mating with a fellow rescue rhino, Andatu, and her pregnancy was a success!

On March 24, 2022, Rosa welcomed a healthy female calf into the world under the watchful eyes of expert medical staff. The calf was determined to be healthy, something that marks a huge win for the world of rhino conservation!

Save the Rhino International shared the news of the birth along with some adorable photos on Facebook.

They wrote in the post:

“Exciting news alert! A Sumatran rhino has been born at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park, in Indonesia and we couldn’t be happier. With fewer than 80 left, this adorable little rhino offers a ray of hope for the species’ future!”

They also congratulated the parties and organizations involved in the successful pregnancy, such as the Government of Indonesia, YABI, the International Rhino Foundation, all Sumatran Rhino Rescue partners, and the “many organisations and members of the public that continue to support efforts to save Sumatran rhinos.”

According to a press release from Save the Rhino International, the calf is just one six that have been born in captivity.

Cathy Dean, CEO of Save the Rhino International, said in the press release: “We’ve been holding our breath since finding out Rosa was pregnant. Rhino pregnancies aren’t easy, so it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate this birth and know that there’s one more Sumatran rhino in the world. However, the fact that we are so excited about the birth of one rhino highlights that these wonderful animals still teeter on the edge of extinction. But today’s news brings us hope for their future.”

Welcoming the new calf into the world is a huge milestone in the world of rhino conservation, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. You can follow Save the Rhino International on Facebook to see updates on the newborn rhino’s progress.

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog