Sumatran Rhinoceros Research Articles

Wild life: the institution of nature

Wild Life documents a nuanced understanding of the wild versus captive divide in species conservation. It also documents the emerging understanding that all forms of wild nature-both in situ (on-site) and ex situ (in captivity)-may need to be managed in perpetuity. Providing a unique window into the high-stakes world of nature conservation, Irus Braverman describes the heroic efforts by conservationists to save wild life. Yet in the shadows of such dedication and persistence in saving the life of species, Wild Life also finds sacrifice and death. Such life and death stories outline the modern struggle to define what conservation should look like at a time when the long-established definitions of nature have collapsed. Wild Life begins with the plight of a tiny endangered snail, and ends with the rehabilitation of an entire island. Interwoven between its pages are stories about golden lion tamarins in Brazil, black-footed ferrets in the American Plains, Sumatran rhinos in Indonesia, Tasmanian devils in Australia, and many more creatures both human and nonhuman. Braverman draws on interviews with more than one hundred and twenty conservation biologists, zoologists, zoo professionals, government officials, and wildlife managers to explore the various perspectives on in situ and ex situ conservation and the blurring of the lines between them.

Rhinos in the Parks: An Island-Wide Survey of the Last Wild Population of the Sumatran Rhinoceros.

In the 200 years since the Sumatran rhinoceros was first scientifically described (Fisher 1814), the range of the species has contracted from a broad region in Southeast Asia to three areas on the island of Sumatra and one in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Assessing population and spatial distribution of this very rare species is challenging because of their elusiveness and very low population number. Using an occupancy model with spatial dependency, we assessed the fraction of the total landscape occupied by Sumatran rhinos over a 30,345-km2 survey area and the effects of covariates in the areas where they are known to occur. In the Leuser Landscape (surveyed in 2007), the model averaging result of conditional occupancy estimate was or 2,371.47 km2, and the model averaging result of replicated level detection probability ; in Way Kambas National Park—2008: or 634.18 km2, and ; and in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park—2010: or 819.67 km2, and . In the Leuser Landscape, rhino occurrence was positively associated with primary dry land forest and rivers, and negatively associated with the presence of a road. In Way Kambas, occurrence was negatively associated with the presence of a road. In Bukit Barisan Selatan, occurrence was negatively associated with presence of primary dryland forest and rivers. Using the probabilities of site occupancy, we developed spatially explicit maps that can be used to outline intensive protection zones for in-situ conservation efforts, and provide a detailed assessment of conserving Sumatran rhinos in the wild. We summarize our core recommendation in four points: consolidate small population, strong protection, determine the percentage of breeding females, and recognize the cost of doing nothing. To reduce the probability of poaching, here we present only the randomized location of site level occupancy in our result while retaining the overall estimation of occupancy for a given area.

Will current conservation responses save the Critically Endangered Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis?

AbstractThe Critically Endangered Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis formerly ranged across South-east Asia. Hunting and habitat loss have made it one of the rarest large mammals and the species faces extinction despite decades of conservation efforts. The number of individuals remaining is unknown as a consequence of inadequate methods and lack of funds for the intensive field work required to estimate the population size of this rare and solitary species. However, all information indicates that numbers are low and declining. A few individuals persist in Borneo, and three tiny populations remain on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and show evidence of breeding. Rhino Protection Units are deployed at all known breeding sites but poaching and a presumed low breeding rate remain major threats. Protected areas have been created for the rhinoceros and other in situ conservation efforts have increased but the species has continued to go locally extinct across its range. Conventional captive breeding has also proven difficult; from a total of 45 Sumatran rhinoceros taken from the wild since 1984 there were no captive births until 2001. Since then only two pairs have been actively bred in captivity, resulting in four births, three by the same pair at the Cincinnati Zoo and one at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Sumatra, with the sex ratio skewed towards males. To avoid extinction it will be necessary to implement intensive management zones, manage the metapopulation as a single unit, and develop advanced reproductive techniques as a matter of urgency. Intensive census efforts are ongoing in Bukit Barisan Selatan but elsewhere similar efforts remain at the planning stage.

The Brachial Plexus of the Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and Application of Brachial Plexus Anatomy Toward Mammal Phylogeny

The peripheral nervous system is a promising resource for testing phylogeny although the branching patterns of peripheral nerves are not well documented outside of Homo sapiens. Here we describe the brachial plexus of the rare Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). We compare its brachial plexus to that of another perissodactyl (Equus asinus), an artiodactyl (Odocoileus virginianus), two carnivorans (Felis catus and Neovison vison), and one primate (Homo sapiens) and examine the phylogenetic structure of the resulting data. Brachial plexuses exhibit high rates of intraspecific polymorphism, but polymorphisms cannot be recognized from one specimen. To address concerns of error due to polymorphism, we dissected 52 mink brachial plexuses and compared them to human brachial plexus variation. Both species have numerous types of brachial plexus polymorphisms. Although most individual polymorphisms occur infrequently and unilaterally, because there are numerous types of polymorphisms, most humans and mink exhibit at least one polymorphism per brachial plexus. Parsimony analysis of 15 characters compiled from the brachial plexus data produced a tree that positions Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla as sister taxa, a result consistent with other analyses. Despite a high rate of polymorphism, the peripheral nervous system seems to carry a phylogenetic signal consistent with other morphological data. With a higher rate of taxon sampling, we suggest the brachial plexus will contribute valuable data for phylogenetic testing.

The sixth extinction: an unnatural history

Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions of life on earth. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. Elizabeth Kolbert combines brilliant field reporting, the history of ideas and the work of geologists, botanists and marine biologists to tell the gripping stories of a dozen species - including the Panamanian golden frog and the Sumatran rhino - some already gone, others at the point of vanishing. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy and Elizabeth Kolbert's book urgently compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Human impact and climate cooling caused range contraction of large mammals in China over the past two millennia

Many species have experienced dramatic declines over the past millennia due to the accelerated impact of human activity and climate change, but compelling evidence over such long‐term time scales is rare. China has a unique system archiving historical records of important social, meteorological, agricultural and biological events over the last three millennia. We derived historical species occurrences (0–2000 AD) based on a comprehensive review of literature. To detect the driving forces of range contraction, we used correlation and multiple regression to quantify the linear association between species range indices and climate variables (five temperature series and three precipitation series), as well as a human population size series. We also used a machine learning technique, random forest, to quantify the nonlinear effects of the climate variables and human population size. The southward retreat of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus and the rhinoceroses (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, Rhinoceros unicornis, R. sondaicus) was closely associated with climate cooling and intensified human impact (represented by high population size), and the westward retreat of the giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca was associated with intensified human impact. One temperature series and human population size showed interactive effect on range shift of the Asian elephant and the rhinoceroses; the effect of temperature was positive at low population size, but negative at high population size. Our results imply that a higher temperature caused the northward or eastward range shift of the Asian elephant, the rhinoceroses and the giant panda, and currently this trend is impeded by human activities. We also illustrate how human activity and climate act synergistically to cause range contraction.

The birth of the first Sumatran Rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Fischer, 1814) – London Docks 1872

A Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) was born in the Victoria Docks of London on board the steamer Orchis arriving from Singapore. It was the first of only eight captive births of this species ever recorded. The female had been captured in Malacca (current Malaysia) together with a male which did not survive the journey. She delivered a female baby unaided by the keeper August Engelke on the evening of Friday 6 December 1872. The rhinos were owned by the animal dealers Carl Hagenbeck and William Jamrach. In London mother and baby were kept in the stables of Charles William Rice on Commercial Road, attended by John Warncken. They were examined by Abraham Dee Bartlett and Frank Buckland, and sketched by Charles Berjeau and an anonymous illustrator working for the Graphic. The baby was crushed to death by her mother on Wednesday 18 December 1872. “Never mind, better luck next time” was the optimistic summary of the Victorian commentators. The female was subsequently sent to America, most probably to be added to one of the menageries operated by P.T. Barnum.

OSTEOPATHOLOGY IN THE FEET OF RHINOCEROSES: LESION TYPE AND DISTRIBUTION

An estimated 1,170 white (Ceratotherium simum), black (Diceros bicornis), greater one-horned (Rhinoceros unicornis), and Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) rhinoceroses are kept in captivity worldwide, where they are a popular public attraction and serve important roles in education and conservation. Rhinoceroses in captivity are reportedly affected by a variety of foot conditions, including abscesses, nail cracking, and pododermatitis, but there are few studies reporting associated bony pathology in these species. This study aimed to describe osteopathology in rhinoceros feet and identify normal and abnormal osteologic features of rhinoceros feet. The metacarpal-tarsal and phalangeal bones from 81 feet (67 skeletal specimens and 14 cadaveric feet), derived from 27 rhinoceroses of various species, were evaluated in the study (1 black, 11 white, 2 greater one-horned, 3 Javan, 9 Sumatran, and 1 unknown). Bones were examined visually (skeletal specimens) or by computed tomography (cadaver specimens) for evidence of bony lesions. Of the 27 rhinoceroses examined, 22 showed some degree of bone pathology in at least one limb. Six broad categories of pathologic change were identified, with numbers in parentheses representing numbers of rhinoceroses with lesions in at least one limb/number of rhinoceroses examined: enthesopathy (20/27), osteoarthritis (15/27), pathologic bone remodeling (12/27), osteitis-osteomyelitis (3/27), fracture (3/8), and subluxation (3/8). The frequency of pathologic changes in fore- and hind limbs was not significantly different. Most (91%) enthesopathies were observed on the proximal phalanges of the digits, and osteoarthritis was most common in the distal interphalangeal joints of the medial and lateral digits (32 and 26%, respectively). In addition to the pathology described, all examined rhinoceroses also had multiple small surface lucencies in the distal limb bones as an apparently normal anatomic feature. This study is an important first step in identifying both normal and pathologic features of rhinoceros feet and hopefully will thereby contribute to the improved knowledge and care of these species.

Ancient DNA sequences from Coelodonta antiquitatis in China reveal its divergence and phylogeny

Ancient DNA data have supported a sister relationship between woolly rhinoceros and extant Sumatran rhinoceros. This relationship has been used to explore the divergent times for the woolly rhinoceros from their relatives. Complete and partial ancient DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene were retrieved from bones of the late Pleistocene Coelodonta antiquitatis excavated from northern and northeastern China. The newly obtained sequences together with the European and northern Asian Coelodonta antiquitatis sequences from GenBank were used to estimate the evolutionary divergence time. Phylogenetic analyses showed the exchange of genetic information between the Chinese individuals and Coelodonta antiquitatis of north Asia, which also indicated a more recent evolutionary timescale (3.8–4.7 Ma) than previous molecular estimations (17.5–22.8 or 21–26 Ma) for woolly rhinoceros based on the fossil calibration of outgroups. This new timescale was more consistent with the fossil record of the earliest known genus Coelodonta.

Sexual maturation in the sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)

To help save the Sumatran rhino from extinction, the captive breeding program must capitalize on each rhino's reproductive lifespan. Doing so requires knowing when calves are sexually mature. The goal of this study was to monitor physiological changes associated with sexual maturation in two captive born calves (one male and one female) to determine the approximate age of maturity for both sexes of this species. Fecal testosterone metabolites were monitored in the male calf from 6 months to 7 years of age, and fecal pregnane metabolites were measured in the female calf from 6 months to 5.5 years of age. In addition, rectal ultrasonography was employed to monitor changes in ovarian activity from 2 to 5.5 years of age. The male calf's fecal testosterone concentrations reached levels comparable to those detected in samples from adult males when he was 6-6.5 years of age. The first pre-ovulatory sized follicle was observed on the ovaries of the female calf when she was 4.75 years old, but fecal pregnane metabolite concentrations only reached maximum mean concentrations and variability when she was 5-5.5 years of age. Results from this study indicate that male and female Sumatran rhino calves are sexually mature at 6-6.5 and 5-5.5 years of age, respectively.

HEMATOLOGY AND SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY OF SUMATRAN RHINOCEROSES (DICERORHINUS SUMATRENSIS) IN A RAINFOREST SANCTUARY IN WAY KAMBAS NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA

There is a paucity of basic biological information for the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). This information is fundamental to husbandry and management practices for captive animals and for support of in situ conservation efforts. Serial blood samples were collected over an 8-yr period to evaluate patterns in hematology and serum biochemistry values among five Sumatran rhinoceroses housed at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung, Indonesia. Understanding the basis for variance in analytes both within and between subjects can allow use of more sensitive subject-based reference values, and is particularly suitable for small populations of endangered animals. Both intra- and intersubject variability was computed for each analyte and the associated index of individuality was determined. Previously published cutoff points for index of individuality indicate where population-based reference intervals can be used with confidence (index > 1.4) or with caution (0.6 < index < 1.4). Interrhino variability was small for the majority of analytes, with 12 of 19 analytes having an index of individuality greater than 1.4 and none having an index of individuality less than 0.6. With the high within-individual variability of most anayltes in the Sumatran rhinoceroses at the sanctuary, subject-based reference intervals offer little advantage over standard population-based reference intervals for monitoring the health of these endangered animals. Differences were noted (but not tested for statistical significance) in serum urea, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and cholesterol between young and old rhinoceroses, and in hematocrit, AST, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), LDH, and glucose between male and female rhinoceroses. Husbandry practices, animal management, nutrition and habitat factors may also impact hematology and biochemistry results, and these relationships deserve more careful investigation. This study represents the most comprehensive hematology and serum biochemistry comparison of Sumatran rhinoceroses held in natural rainforest conditions outside a traditional zoological setting.

Genetics and the last stand of the Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis

AbstractThe Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis is on the brink of extinction. Although habitat loss and poaching were the reasons of the decline, today's reproductive isolation is the main threat to the survival of the species. Genetic studies have played an important role in identifying conservation priorities, including for rhinoceroses. However, for a species such as the Sumatran rhinoceros, where time is of the essence in preventing extinction, to what extent should genetic and geographical distances be taken into account in deciding the most urgently needed conservation interventions? We propose that the populations of Sumatra and Borneo be considered as a single management unit.

New discoveries from the classic Quaternary mammalian fossil area of Yanjinggou, Chongqing, and their chronological explanations

Yanjinggou in Wanzhou District of Chongqing is one of the earliest reported and most famous Quaternary mammalian fossil areas in China. The fauna from this area used to be taken as a benchmark for the biochronological comparison of Quaternary paleontology of South China, but the chronology of this fauna has many controversies for the lack of exact locational and stratigraphical records. The present article, on the basis of recent investigations and discoveries, discusses and explains the distribution and biochronology of the mammalian faunas in the Yanjinggou area. The newly discovered Dayakou fissure fauna, including Rhizomys troglodytes, Homotherium sp., Panthera pardus, Stegodon orientalis, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, Hesperotherium sinense, Sus sp., Cervavitus fenqii, Cervus sp. and Muntiacus sp., is correlated to the middle Early Pleistocene. The presence of Early Pleistocene mammalian fauna in the Yanjinggou area is therefore confirmed. The “Wanhsien fauna” or “Yenchingkou (=Yanjinggou) fauna” as a Mid-Late Pleistocene biostratigraphical datum should be abandoned. The Dayakou fauna and the Upper Cave fauna of Pingba, both in the Yanjinggou area, are correlated to the middle Early Pleistocene and the early Middle Pleistocene in age, respectively.

Blood meal analysis of tabanid fly after it biting the rare Sumatran rhinoceros

ObjectiveTo demonstrate a noninvasive large mammalian genetic sampling method using blood meal obtained from a tabanid fly. MethodsBlood meal was recovered from the abdomen of an engorged tabanid fly (Haematopota sp.) which was captured immediately after biting a Sumatran rhino in captivity. The blood was applied on to a Whatman FTA® blood card. Subsequent laboratory work was conducted to extract, amplify and sequence the DNA from the sample. Validation was done by sampling the hair follicles and blood samples from the rhinoceros and subjecting it to the same laboratory process. ResultsBLAST search and constructed phylogenetic trees confirmed the blood meal samples were indeed from the rhino. ConclusionsThis method could be used in the field application to noninvasively collect genetic samples. Collection of tabanids and other haematophagous arthropods (e.g. mosquitoes and ticks) and other blood-sucking parasites (e.g. leeches and worms) could also provide information on vector-borne diseases.

Remains of Holocene giant pandas from Jiangdong Mountain (Yunnan, China) and their relevance to the evolution of quaternary environments in south-western China

Two subfossil partial skeletons of male giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) were recovered, along with remains of 16 other mammalian species, from a natural sinkhole on Jiangdong Mountain (south-western Yunnan, China). The panda and other mammalian bones from the sinkhole's upper chamber yielded tightly clustered accelerator mass spectrometry corrected radiocarbon ages of 8470–8250 yr BP, and the panda remains from the lower chamber were found to be 5025 ± 35 yr BP. The bones represent a natural accumulation of mostly large mammals (>30 kg), which had fallen accidentally into the sinkhole. The Jiangdong Mountain mammal assemblage comprises mostly obligate forest-dwellers such as the giant panda, Asian elephant and Sumatran rhinoceros, but the presence of the horse and gaur suggests a more open woodland habitat. Giant pandas were distributed widely in southern China during the Pleistocene, but are now restricted to dense stands of bamboo within temperate forests surrounding the Sichuan Basin. The evidence from Jiangdong Mountain indicates that suitable habitat for pandas extended west of the Salween River through the mid-Holocene. Rapid deforestation of the area in historical times is suggested by an accumulation of cave fill below the opening of the sinkhole containing pieces of an early to middle Ming Dynasty bowl.

BROWSE DIVERSITY AND IRON LOADING IN CAPTIVE SUMATRAN RHINOCEROSES (DICERORHINUS SUMATRENSIS): A COMPARISON OF SANCTUARY AND ZOOLOGICAL POPULATIONS

Iron storage disease (ISD) is now recognized as a serious clinical disorder acquired by two species of browsing rhinoceroses, the African black (Diceros bicornis) and the Asian Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) rhinoceroses, when displaced from their natural habitats. The most complete knowledge of ISD comes from studies of the black rhinoceros, but the Asian species is also at risk. Sumatran rhinoceroses housed in traditional zoological settings outside of range countries have suffered significant morbidity and mortality potentially related to ISD induced by diet and/or other confinement conditions. With so few animals in captivity, very little information exists on iron loading in the Sumatran rhinoceros. To better characterize the problem, we retrospectively compared captive management conditions of Sumatran rhinoceroses housed under traditional zoological care with those in two native sanctuary environments. In general, zoo rhinoceroses are offered a paucity of plants and browse species compared with their sanctuary and wild counterparts managed in native rainforest habitats. Iron analyte levels and limited histopathologic observations in these populations suggest variable tendencies to overload iron, dependent upon differences in managed diet and individual food preferences. More detailed investigation of these markedly dissimilar ex situ populations is warranted to better understand the role of nutrition and other conditions affecting iron loading in browser rhinoceroses.

IOD IN RHINOS—NUTRITION GROUP REPORT: REPORT FROM THE NUTRITION WORKING GROUP OF THE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON IRON OVERLOAD DISORDER IN BROWSING RHINOCEROS (FEBRUARY 2011)

Iron overload disorder (IOD) has been identified in browser rhinoceros species (eg. black rhino, Diceros bicornis; Sumatran rhino, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), although the mechanism by which IOD occurs in these species is unclear. It is known that browser rhino species are susceptible to this disorder; however, grazing rhino species (eg. White rhino, Ceratothenum simun; Indian rhino, Rhinocerus unicornis) are not as susceptible. Although the horse has been reported to be susceptible to IOD, the incidence appears to be much less frequent, making the horse a questionable model for iron metabolism and IOD in browser rhinos. This report provides feeding recommendations for browser rhinos maintained under the care of humans as well as directions for future research efforts.

REVIEW OF LABORATORY AND NECROPSY EVIDENCE FOR IRON STORAGE DISEASE ACQUIRED BY BROWSER RHINOCEROSES

Necropsies of two browser rhinoceroses, African black (Diceros bicornis) and Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), often reveal extensive iron-pigment deposition in various tissues. This condition (hemosiderosis) has not been observed in species that are natural grazers, African white (Ceratotherium simum) and Asian greater one-horned (Indian; Rhinoceros unicornis), nor in any species free ranging in the wild. The causes, clinical significance, and consequences of captivity-acquired hemosiderosis have remained controversial despite two decades of compelling evidence that iron tends to accumulate logarithmically in all members of affected species in proportion to periods of expatriation; total-body iron loads can reach 10-fold in less than 3 yr and eventually exceed reference ranges by two to three orders of magnitude; iron overburdens are accompanied by laboratory and histopathologic evidence of cellular injury, necrosis and other clinical consequences characteristic of chronic pathologic iron storage [corrected] disorders (ISD) in humans and other species (hemochromatosis); and that ISD develops in many other exotic wildlife species displaced from their natural habitats. The historical evolution of evidence establishing the development of pathologic ISD in browser (but not in grazer) rhinoceroses and the possible relevance of ISD to other conditions affecting these two species will be reviewed. Evidence reviewed includes new as well as published data derived from quantitative measurements of iron analytes in sera and necropsy tissues and histopathologic evaluations of current and past necropsies of captive and free-ranging rhinoceroses of all four available species. The evolutionary, husbandry, and conservation implications of ISD in rhinoceroses are relevant to understanding ISD acquired by many other species of exotic wildlife when displaced from their natural environments.

Sabah Wildlife Department and 10 years of research: Towards a better conservation of Sabah's wildlife

In this paper, we present an update on the current wildlife research undertaken by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and its partners. For the last ten years, SWD has been extremely active in developing research programmes on all Sabah's flagship species including the Bornean orangutan, the proboscis monkey, the Sumatran rhinoceros, the Bornean elephant, the Bornean banteng, the Malayan sun bear, and the Sunda clouded leopard. This has been facilitated by: (1) the setting up of their own field research centre located in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, the Danau Girang Field Centre, in collaboration with Cardiff University; (2) the development of strong collaborations with different overseas institutions such as Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, University of Indiana, Kyoto University, Oxford WildCRU, EcoHealth Alliance, Houston Zoo, and many others; and (3) the collaboration with several NGOs such as HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme, Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT), WWF-Malaysia, Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), UK Appeal, and many others. Recently, some of the research carried out by SWD and partners has received funding from the palm oil industry through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Sime Darby Foundation, and others. The main aim of the research carried out by SWD and partners is to contribute to the conservation and management of the species and ecosystems, which are under their responsibility.

Endangered species: Sex and the single rhinoceros

Conservationists are taking heroic measures to restore the fertility of a three-footed Sumatran rhino. But some ask whether this is the right way to save an endangered species.