Environment Watch: Sumatra rhino sanctuary gets good and bad news

Torgamba, a male rhinoceros at the Sumatra Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) in the Way Kambas National Park (TNWK), East Lampung, is causing concern among park workers as the animal, which was brought in from a British zoo in 1998 with the aim of reproduction, has a kidney infection and anemia.

Meanwhile, Ratu, a female rhino at SRS, has tested positive in several pregnancy tests, but to date has not displayed any signs of pregnancy. In February last year, Ratu fell pregnant and was scheduled to give birth in May this year, but she suffered a miscarriage.

The latest pregnancy was detected from a pregnancy test on the eight-year-old female rhinoceros on Feb. 16, after she mated with Andalas, another stud at the sanctuary.

Ratu’s pregnancy has not only become the pride of the conservation park but has also drawn international attention, as it will be the first rhino birth at the park in 112 years.

TNWK spokesman Sukatmono said Torgamba, which to date has failed to impregnate any female rhinos in the SRS, is currently undergoing intensive treatment. He cannot feed himself and needs to be handfed.

“Torgamba’s condition has deteriorated in the past year, in part due to old age. Torgamba is 31 years old and has been constantly sick since 2004. So the chances of any of the three female rhinos in SRS getting pregnant by Torgamba are slim,” said Sukatmono.

Andalas was brought in from the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States at the end of February 2007.

The arrival of Andalas, now 10 years old, was in fact a homecoming because he is the offspring of a male rhino named Ipuh and a female named Emi, both Sumatran rhinoceros from Bengkulu province.

The five rhinos were released into the sanctuary, which is a 100-hectare plot surrounded by an electric fence. Besides Torgamba and Andalas, SRS is also home to Bina, Ratu and Rossa.

“We were very happy when an ultrasound showed the presence of a fetus in Ratu’s womb. But now, our hopes are also dashed again,” said Sukatmono.

Veterinarian Dedi Chandra, who is treating Torgamba, said Torgamba had often fallen sick since 2004. Based on diagnosis, Torgamba is suffering from a kidney infection and anemia.

“In 2004, Torgamba was treated and given 20 liters of fluid daily through intravenous drip,” said Dedi, relating the medical history of Torgamba.

“We treated Torgamba intensively again in a special cage. We have been treating him since early January this year,” said Dedi, who has been providing care to rhinoceroses at the TNWK for the past 10 years.

Dedi said it was possible that Torgamba was nearing the end of his life due to his sicknesses. “In the wild, rhinoceros normally only live to 35 years of age, and Torgamba’s current age is 31,” he said.

The Sumatran rhinoceros is critically endangered because it is difficult to conserve and breed.

According to Dedi, the Sumatran rhinoceros is a shy and reclusive animal and a very slow breeder, and that is why the SRS has not been able to produce any calves until now.

They are currently estimated to number around 200 in the forests of Sumatra and Kalimantan. The government needs to carry out conservation efforts like that in TNWK to save them from extinction.

— JP/ Oyos Saroso H.N