Sumatran rhinos are now thought to be extinct in Malaysia - once a stronghold for the species.

Indonesian Government must take action, IUCN says

With less than 100 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild, conservationists say it will likely become extinct unless the Indonesian Government takes urgent action.

The species was recently reported to be extinct in Malaysia, a country that was once regarded as a stronghold.

This loss has been described as a "major blow" to the survival prospects of the species.

Over the past 50-100 years, it has already become extinct in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Simon Stuart, chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission, said: “With the ongoing poaching crisis, escalating population decline and destruction of suitable habitat, extinction of the Sumatran rhino in the near future is becoming increasingly likely.

"The Indonesian Government urgently needs to develop intensive protection zones with significantly enhanced security enforcement in all sites where Sumatran rhinos still occur."

Today, rhino populations are small and isolated, making breeding less likely. In addition, females that are unable to breed regularly are at risk of developing tumours in their reproductive tracts, leading to infertility.

As well as developing intensive protection zones and consolidating isolated animals into larger populations, managed breeding is key, the IUCN says.

Next month, Cincinnati Zoo will send a young male Sumatran rhino called Harapan to live with five other rhinos at a sanctuary in Sumatra's Way Kambas National Park. It is hoped this will speed up conservation breeding of the species in captivity.

Regardless, the IUCN says the fate of the species ultimately resides with the Indonesian Government.

Image © S. Ellis/International Rhino Foundation/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0