Endangered Sumatran Rhino Dies Shortly After 'Rediscovery' In Indonesia

A rare Sumatran Rhino that was caught in a pit trap just a month ago in East Kalimantan province had died of an infection. The discovery of the female rhino named Najaq was affirmed as a conservation success. But the celebration was short-lived as it died just a few weeks after it was captured.

International Business Times reports that the rhino was killed due to the leg infection from the wounds that have been perpetrated by the poaching traps, according to Nyoman Iswarayoga, the spokesman for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia. The rhino's health deteriorated because of the infection. Meanwhile, an autopsy was commissioned to recognize the official cause of the rhino's death.

"The death of this Sumatran rhino proves they exist in Borneo, so we will continue protecting them," said Tachrir Fathoni, a senior official at the environment ministry.

Yahoo noted that the conservationists including WWF that the discovery of a rhino is a foremost milestone for the conservation of rhinos in Indonesia. On the other hand, they stated their disappointments at the death of Najaq. The head of WWF Indonesia, Efransjah, said that its death serves as a valuable lesson and needs the support of the experts to save a rhino.

Many rhinoceros were roaming around Borneo before but they had disappeared in time. They have substantial populations with one on Borneo, four on Sumatra and one in the Malay Peninsula. Some people believe that the decline of rhinos is caused by the expansion of mining and plantation and poaching. They are now almost extinct and estimated to be only fewer than 100.

Sumatran rhinoceros or also referred to as Asian two-horned rhinoceros are considered the smallest rhinoceros but they are big mammals. The head-and-body length of a rhino is about 2.36 to 3.18 meters (7.7 to 10.4 feet). Its weight ranges from 500 to 1,000 kg (1,100 to 2,200 lb.). Sumatran rhino's body is covered by a reddish-brown hair.