Efforts intensify to save Sumatran rhinos as the last male in Malaysia dies

With fewer than 100 Sumatran rhinos left in the world, the species is critically endangered, and this situation has just been dealt another worrying blow.

Although it once roamed across much of Asia, the Sumatran rhino has almost disappeared from the wild thanks to the perils of deforestation and poaching, and now Tam, the last male in Malaysia, has sadly passed away. Tam lived at a wildlife reserve in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo, after he was discovered wandering in a palm oil plantation in 2008. He was estimated to be aged 30 or more at that point, so it is believed that he died of old age.

Most of the world’s remaining Sumatran rhinos live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but in their current fragmented and dispersed pockets, it is hard for them to find each other and reproduce successfully. This is why breeding programmes are essential, but even in captivity, there can be challenges. In 2014, Suci, a female rhino born at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in 2004, passed away from the iron storage disease, haemochromatosis. The condition also claimed her mum Emi in 2009. Efforts to breed Tam with two captive females sadly proved unsuccessful, and a female rhino called Iman is the only member of the species now left in Malaysia.

“While this is sad news, it is unfortunately a situation that has been coming for some time,” Save the Rhino tells Lonely Planet. “The main focus now for Sumatran rhinos, of which there are only 80 animals left, is to ensure that the populations in Sumatra can increase. Together with partners, we’re part of Sumatran Rhino Rescue, a project that is bringing more hope for this critically endangered species.”

Further information on the Sumatran Rhino Rescue project can be found here.

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