S - Cincinnati Zoo E Botanical Garden . . . - - . . .

R ad-trmpcrecl. l~clligcrcll~. canlankerous - these art. all

I) \\ioi-ds rllat 11a1.e bcen used to label [he c-haractel- of a

rhinoceros. :\clrrlitledl\; their ma\si\-e size. lol-midable horns and

"stand-ofIBh" bc.ha\ ioi- may 1-ciiil'orce h i s portra\.:~l. Jet the true

cllaractcr of a rhinoceros is h a t of a sui-i-i\.oc

r 7 l tlry are clciiant rep~-~.entativr.- or a

di\.crsr r\,olu~ionary past. liqhiiliy 110

sun,i\.e a l l l O ( ~ ~ ~ 1 1 day slau$llcr caclscc]

1)). ;L ~nisplaccd aclmirarion of' tllril-

horn.

T h e i i \ ~ li\,in; species, n\.o o f \ \ . l l i c . l ~

oc~c.ur ill U i c a (l~lack and \\-hiit.: alld

tixrer ill .Asia iInclinil. Ja\.an. and

Sitmatran) xrr rrrr~illisccnr o r c1112i1-

prehistoric ancestors. The hair!.

Sumatra l~ rhino (Dice?-orlzitzzis

sz~matre~tsisr is tllouxlit lu l ~ i . a dirrct

descerldeilt of the \\-oolly I-hino

(Coelodonta u~ztiqzcitutis \\.hich

s u n i ~ ~ d ~ ~ I T O L I ~ ~ I O L I L Europe and .Asia

uniil as recent as 10.000 !-ear. aFo.

l ' h e ;l.llcicr~r c,rigill of rllilios can I,e 11-aced Ixick 40 to 50 million \;cars. Thc iossil

record il~clicairs th : ,~ r.hillos 011c.r li\,ccl througllo~lr Nor111 .-\~tirri~a. illtii:;~. Eul-ol)r

and .-lsia 'LIICI c~ccupicd di\.el-sr ecc~)lo$ral ~liches. h l - esamplc, a n estu~ct rhino.

Pnl-ncei-ntlter-iti777, tllc largest 1~11lcl m:u~lmal thac rvrs li\~c!, bro\\.sed 1.1le c.arlopy of'

tree: I I I U C I ~ likc ;I 111odcr~1 giratlk-. . .

Ti~r SL117.1\'111:_; rr.l;~ti\,cs 01' [his ancicnr Froup of' arlirrlnls rcpresenl :I 50 million

year r ~ o l ~ i ~ i o ~ i : ~ r y legacy Thi.. is a heriragc ihat is rod:^)- threa~enccl with esiinctjon.

1Sa.-cc1 11pol3 '1001 ~:stimntes 111-oi-idecl b)- dlc Intcrnacional R ~ ~ I I I I h ~ ~ l l d n t i o n (IKF)

rherc arc v~~l!. I :?,?U(! 1.11illoi; remaining (\vild and captivc poptdllntions co~rll)illed; :uld

or rhar n ~ ~ m l ~ c r 12,-1.50 x r \\-hire I-hinos (Cerutothmizcn7 si?~zzinz).

-1'hc most cir\-asratine story inn!, hr rllat of the black rhino (Diceros biconzis).

Duriny thc later hall' of' thc 20th celltun- the population of' black rhinos in .Arric:~

decreasrd kern all rstinlared 65.000 indi\iduals in 1970 to only 2.300 b!. 1993. l'his

The most endangered mammal on Earth, t he Sumatran rhino, has seen its population decline by more than fifty percent in t he last 15 years.

Disappearing Act Today, all five rhino species are threatened Historic Distribution with extinction. Their future depends upon strengthening our commitment to conservation - @ Current Distribution dr,tsric decline ~ r s ~ ~ l i e d iron1 the together we can make a difference! demand Ibl rhino horn I>clir\-rd ro hnx.e

'BLACK RHlNO Diceros bicorriis

Ceratotherium simum

INDIAN RHlNO ,

Rhinoceros unicornis

Population: 2,400 ........................

JAVAN RHlNO Rhinoceros sondaicus

Population: 60 .................. . -

I

l

SUMATRAN RHlNO Dicerorhinus sumatrensrs

Q Occurrence Unconfirmed

Irlcdjcinal \ d u e i r~ tr;\di~io~lal Asian

rnedicinr. LAdditionally, r.Ilirlr) horn d a g ~ e r llantile; \\.ere serll :IS a S!-rril)ol or

sralils in c.ercain c~11t111.r~.

The rrlosi c~ldallgcrccl manxnal on

ILrth. t1lc Sumatran rliino. has Geen its

ptrl)ulauo~~ drcline l)! rnorr cllari fifiy percent ill [he Ia?i 1.5 yc;t~-S. 7ijday a11

c~rimatecl SOT1 .un,i\,e in thc \vild. \Vhilc

chc li.torit- i)irrh OS A~idalas. dle first

Sum;itran rllino brecl and bvrn in

capiixir). in over l ( )C) years has createcl a

s p : d of Ilapr. t o~iser\.;~tic~~riii~s rece~~t ly

wcrc shockcd to learn of' the complctc

loss of ttir larpst csptix.2 pop~dation of

Sumatran rhinos at the Sungai Dusun

reserve in l ' e n i n s ~ ~ l ~ ~ Alalaysia. (See

"Ca~a;uop!lr at Su115:~i rjusun." page 7). .~ . l he crisis for rilinos 0111~- gea worse

\\.hen you add ill the situation

confronting the Javan rhino

'Rlzi~zoceros solzduicz~s!. There are an

eslimaied 60 indixiduals left in the vild

ihat are conce~lrratcd in n\.o locauons.

one in \?etnnm ancl the orher in

Indonesia. Tile need Tor aygressive

protrctior~ cannot be o\-er stated. The

very real threat that poaching and

disease coulcl wipe out one or borh of

thcse isol:lted populations is ever

preserit.

\\'hiic the fururc fbr Surnatran and

.Javan rhinos Ilia!. seem bleak. it is the

dogged. rhino-like dcrcrminacion of

consen.acionist~ SUCII a-. 111: Terri Roih.

the Zoo'r \-ice l'resiclen~ Tor .'inin~al

Scirnte. arid Dr. Tom I%o?c. l'rograni

Di~.ectc)r of ihc Internatic~~lal Rhino

I;;,undarion. h a t rn11\. pl-ox-idc hope h r

the future of rhi~lo.. - l lie\ \\r~uld

~ ( I L I I t)r quick to point OLII L I L L ~ \\llile cllc

I I , :~ . I - real. there arc rhino -ucces.

.toric- t h ~ i t x i t~t.lp p~o\iclr a rocid map

ior 1xurl c55

W I L D L I i i Explorer ra

The recovery o f the Indian r h i no has paralleleci its African cousins. There are n o w over 2,400 Indian rhinos surviving.

Catastrophe at Sungai Dusun Adopted from "Catastrophe at Sungai Dusun" as appeared on www.rhinos-irf.org, by Dr. Torn Foose.

C onservation organizations prefer t o announce successes and achievements.

At other times, there are needs for notification of crises that require action and support. But sometimes, there are also significant seibacks to report.

From April through November of 2003,

and particularly the last two weeks of that

period, a major catastrophe occurred at the Sumatran Rhino Conservation Center a t Sungai Dusun in Penins~lar Malaysia.

In April, an adult female rhino "Rima" died, most likely from tetanus. This loss was most unfortunate because Rima was a

known breeder. She had been captured pregnant in the mid 1980s but most of her pregnancy occurred while she was in captivity. She died the day after what was most likely a successful breeding.

But the worst was yet to occur. From October 28 to November 16, five other animals died: the sole male Ara (who

appeared to be reproductively healthy) and four females Minah (who was the youngest

and had recently resumed normal reproductive cycles), Panjang, Seputih, and

Mas Merah. Thus the largest population of Sumatran rhinos in captivity had been annihilated.

The cause of this tragedy is not yet verified but is probably either a very virulent and infectious disease or an environmental toxin. Sungai Dusun has maintained healthy Sumatran rhinos for over 15 years without

(Continued on page 8)

V ~ I - D L I ' E Explorer 10

T- Rorh

any similar incidents. Moreover, these deaths decimated the population despite the heroic efforts of the Center's Curator and Veterinarian Dr. Mohd Aidi, assisted by a team of veterinarians led by Dr. Vellayan from the National Zoo in Malaysia. Also consulting long distance were Dr. Robin Radcliffe of Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and Dr. Terri Roth from the Cincinnati Zoo &

Botanical Garden. Providing overall coordination of these efforts has been Mohd Khan, Chair of the IUCNISSC Asian Rhino Specialist Group and of the Malaysian Rhino Foundation.

Despite these setbacks, many of the Sumatran rhino conservationists believe we must persevere to develop a viable program of captive propagation as a supplement and back-up t o the primary program of protecting the species in the wild against ever increasing odds. Hence, the program at the Cincinnati Zoo and a t the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park will continue. For now, the conservation program for Sumatran rhino in Peninsular Malaysia (where perhaps 75 rhino survive in the wild) wil l concentrate on supporting Rhino Protection Units (RPUs), the teams that patrol the forests to deter poaching and protect wi ld rhinos.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is proud to partner with the Intern6rional Rhino Foundation and it's mission to support and operate rhino conservation and research programs both in nature and in captiviu with particular emphas~s on intensive management and protection.

de<iznccl t i t 1101 only raise. .i\\arcllcs. but a1.o t o p r o l i d c partic.ipants \\.iih t l~c. t o o l 5

nece-.>a~> 11 ~ i k c apl>n~i)~.i.ttc. .ic.tion.

1 )~ i r in~ d11. [I;ISI threr \.~.;II.L 1hrr.r Ila\rc i1t.t.11 -igliiir;~~~t a c . h i r \ ~ c - ~ n r ~ ~ ~ s chat Ii.~\r

prc>\idcd ; I s l~ ;~ r l ; of holx. lirr t l ~ c S u m a t l - a ~ ~ 1.l1i11o. R~SC~II.(.IICYS t ~ n t l c r lhc. Ira(lt.rship

o f Dr. '1,:1.1.i 1<11tl1 ;It thr Zoo'. (:t-litcr for ( :o~~scr\.at ion and l ic~yrarch o f E~~dailge~-c.tl

con t i~~u t . . '1'111. c.sc.lla~~gr 01 c.sl)rriencr ;311d c.sl~tnrtisc i~en\.rclr c.ollt,a;~~r> in llal;i\.sia.

Indc311~5i~1 :111tl 1111: J ~ l i i t * c I SI.I~I.> lnust COI~I~IILI~~. ~ l C I d i t i o ~ i i ~ l l \ ~IIY s i ~ p j ~ o r t 01' '111ti-

JJO~C~~II~V. ti..1111\ k1it8\$.11 ;I< I < l ~ i ; i t j 1'1-otccti i~~~ L.II~L\ 'Pd'Ls . 11;i. j)ro\.en 10 11c. c111c or

thc r n c l \ r c,ll(,c.ti\.e str.arcgi~:\ tc I deter puach i i~g ;aid prot rc t \\. i lcl S11111auan rllillo, ill

Pel~ insula~. ,\I;~l;~).sia: S i ~ l x ~ h . ancl I n d o ~ i r s i i ~ . '1'11~ ZCIO ha5 liultlril o r l r KI'L c;icli or h e last th~.~.t. \.cars.

Thr. Zoo'. 1.lii110 COIISC.I.\~.I~~O~~ effo~.t\ arc. not c,sclu;i\-c to thc humatran I-1ii11o. 'I'o hei;) CI~\LII-~. ;I ne~ie: icdl\ I i c~ i l t t i v and .cl!-\~~stai~ll l lq popi~l;itio~i of capri\.c Ind ian

rhino:. C:I<Ei\' scientist. arc dcvelopi~ lg a tr ;u~sccnical artit icinl i n e m i l ~ a t i o ~ i AI1 p~-c)ccdiuc ill t l r i s sl~ccics (sc.c C:RE\\' ar~ic lc . p;igc 161. Furthrr lnorc. C:KE\,\' rcccnt ly

The popu la t ion o f w h i t e rhinos has recovered t o abou t 11,670.

V . l r D L I F E Explorer I

Preparing for Emi's Unprecedented

Lmi. Jimrn\. ancl C:hil\\ 'il:. our p.iil' (of'

Incliari :-hillu.s. ancl oui. I,lacli rhincls.

,]~ilir a11d llarsllall. Flri l lg a i~ l r it) srr

three of rlir h - c specie; o f rh i i lo i, rul

o p p o r ~ ~ u ~ i ~ . thar nrtracts intcl-:larional \.i.4cor> 10 rl:r Zoo. T ; k c p:-icie i n

For :nore i~~hrrn;.~~ion. vr to iul>1>ol.t

r h i n o conse~-~-;~ tion. \.i.it oul. \ \ cll.itc 31

1\7\~\:ci11cinnatlzc)c).r)1.o,. +

Encore Performance

E mi, the critically endangered female Sumatran rhino is expecting her

second calf thls summer. Known internationally as the mother of the first Sumatran rhino to be bred and born in captivity in 112 years, Emi currently is more than eight months into a new pregnancy. Emi's first calf, Andalas, thrived under her attentive care and was transferred to the Los Angeles Zoo in the summer of 2003 to make room for an expected sibling.

The success story of Andalas exemplifies the power of science in endangered species conservation efforts. I t was through research (ultrasound and endocrine monitoring) that the birih of a Sumatran rhino calf in captivity became a reality. These same scientific tools were used in producing the current Ultrasound image of Emi's pregnancy at day 60

pregnancy, abou: which we are all optimistic. Emi has a history of early pregnancy loss during the first three months of gestation and was prescribed a daily dose of oral progesterone during the previous successful pregnancy. This time, Emi is carrying the pregnancy on her own and is more than half-way through her 16-month gestation.

With the birth of Andalas in 2001, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden provided a spark o i hope for the future of this species. In light of the recent tragedy at the Sungai Dusun Reserve in Malaysia, this second pregnancy is that much more important.An encore performance by Emi in producing a second calf will make her the only Sumatran rhino in history to produce two offspring in captivity. More importantly, i t is absolutely essential both for the contiwed progress of the captive breeding program and, ultimately, for the survival of the species.

I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . , . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Call .

What YOU Can Do to Help

to Learn more about rhinos. Recid Khinos:

b Natural Historv and Conservation (Worldiife Library Series) b) Steve Toon, et a/, or Horr. of

Action Darkness: Rhinos on the Edoe t:y Carol Cunn~nghom ono' lo.1 Berger.

Spread :he 1vo:d about the rhino crisis.

.-* Tell a irienci, vour childrer or politicians.

~.&-

Rhino Conservation

Help your Cincinnati Zoo & Botancial Garden save rhinos from extinction by supporting one or more ongoing rhino conservation projects.

* A n t i - p o a c h i n g Rhino Pro tec t ion Un i t s * Sumat ran Rh ino Capt i ve Breed ing P r o g r a m

Ind ian Rh ino Assisted Reproduc t ion Pro ject Buv a rmno pL1intlng ,I unrnue Rhlnocelos G e n e B a n k ~ n g Prolect gift \ ith a m:anrngful message All Droceeus benell1 rhino Rhinoceros Educa t ion Kit

consenation (See pq '0) To m a k e a d o n a t i o n t o w a r d s

Take part In our Rhino Encounter

rhino conser 7t1on or c a l l ( 5 1 3 ) 5 5 9 - 7 7 1 6 .