First release of a captured Sumatran striped rabbit Nesolagus netscheri (Schlegel, 1880) into the wild

Abstract

The Sumatran striped rabbit Nesolagus netscheri (Schlegel, 1880) is a rare, endemic mammal found only in mainland Sumatra, Indonesia. In late September 2021, the Nature Conservation Agency of Bengkulu province received two young N. netscheri individuals caught from a village in Bengkulu province, Sumatra, Indonesia. After four months in captivity, in early February 2022, the Nature Conservation Agency of Bengkulu Province decided to release the rabbits in the general area where they had been collected. This is the first known instance of a release of N. netscheri into the wild after a period of captivity.