Rare Sumatran rhino born in Indonesia
One of the most exciting moments I've had as a zoo visitor (not in my directly professional capacity) came on a rainy day in October 2014, when I had the chance to meet Harapan, the last Sumatran rhinoceros outside of Indonesia, at the Cincinnati Zoo. This meeting was especially exciting for me because, it turned out, Harapan was due to return to Indonesia soon to join the last remaining members of his species (including his siblings, also born at Cincinnati) in a captive-breeding program that would, hopefully, help save the rapidly-declining species from extinction.
And that move has just born fruit. Orange, hairy, 25 kilograms worth of fruit.
One birth does not reverse a trend, and the world's rarest rhino is still in dire straits. It's a first for this particular male, who's brother has already sired a calf in Indonesia. Still, when an animal is this close to the edge of extinction, it feels like every single birth is an act of defiance, fighting back and refusing to accept the loss as inevitable.
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