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Fears for Sumatran rhino species’ survival after Malaysia loses its last male

Malaysia is mourning its last Sumatran rhino, Tam, who died in captivity.

Malaysia is mourning its last Sumatran rhino, Tam, who died in captivity.

Malaysia’s last male Sumatran rhino has died in captivity, dashing hopes he could have helped save the “functionally extinct” species.

Tam was estimated to be in his mid-30s and died from kidney and liver damage, his health deteriorating in recent months.

Much hope had been held that he could help father a new generation of Sumatran rhinos but his death was the last blow in what had been a luckless breeding program in Malaysia.

The two-horned hairy species is the closest living relative to the woolly rhinos of the Ice Age and has been roaming Asia for millions of years, according to the Borneo Rhino Alliance.

Tam’s passing is being mourned by the Asian wildlife community. He had been living in care on the island of Borneo in Sabah’s Tabin Wildlife Reserve after being rescued from an palm oil plantation.

“I remember so well when Tam was captured and the high hopes everyone had that he could be the founding member of a successful captive breeding program in Sabah, and join the then-international efforts involving the US and Indonesia,” said Susie Ellis, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation.

“Sadly, those hopes were repeatedly dashed over the next decade by a series of incidents, some sociopolitical, some biological, and some simply bad luck.”

For several decades, Sumatran rhinos – which are the smallest rhino species at about four feet tall – have been virtually wiped out due to illegal poaching and clearing for palm oil plantations.

Indonesia now holds the only remaining wild Sumatran rhinos on Earth, which number no more than 80 individuals scattered across three of its national parks, the International Rhino Foundation said a statement.

Two other African rhino subspecies, the northern white rhino and the western black rhino, have also become extinct in the wild in the last two decades.

Rampant clearing of rainforests to feed the world’s desire for palm oil has also left tigers, elephants, and orangutans on the brink of extinction.

Conservationists had hoped Tam would be able to breed naturally with Iman, a female captured in 2014, as well as another rescued female, Puntung, who had to be euthanised in 2017.

“But Tam did not have high quality sperm and both females had uterine tumors which prevented conception,” the International Rhino Foundation said.

“Having no other choice, Sabah conservationists turned to advanced reproductive technology, attempting to produce embryos by in vitro fertilization that could be placed in surrogate rhinos.

“With limited knowledge about Sumatran rhino reproductive physiology, and the complexities of converting cells in the laboratory into viable embryos, these methods were a long-shot, at best.

“Even so, they were the best chance for Sabah’s rhinos,” Ms Ellis said.

“Efforts to exchange gametes with Indonesia did not pan out for a variety of reasons.”

The Indonesia government has established an ‘Emergency Action Plan on Sumatran Rhinos’ to capture the small populations for breeding in captivity.

Tam passed away surrounded by the dedicated keepers and veterinary staff from the Borneo Rhino Alliance who had cared for him since 2008.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news that Tam, Malaysia’s last male Sumatran rhino, has passed away,” Borneo Rhino Alliance posted on Facebook.

“We will share more details in due time, but right now we need some time to mourn his passing.”

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