Spotlight on Sumatran Rhinos 

Torgamba cools off in his mud wallow.

Sumatran rhinos face tremendous poaching pressure, and are now also quickly losing their habitat due to massive deforestation – in Indonesia, an area of forest the size of a football field is destroyed every minute! Sumatran rhinos now exist only in protected areas where they are physically guarded from harm by Rhino Protection Units.

Because of their shy, solitary nature and their remote jungle habitat, there has been little research conducted on Sumatran rhinos in the wild. And, because these rhinos are so rare, there are only 9 in captivity in the world – two at the Cincinnati Zoo, one at the White Oak Conservation Center in Florida, one in Malaysia, and five at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary.

Rosa takes a walk in the forest.

The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) is a 250-acre complex located within Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia. Its five rhinos – Andalas, Rosa, Ratu, Torgamba and Bina -are part of an intensively managed research and breeding program aimed at increasing our knowledge about the Sumatran rhino with the ultimate aim of increasing the population in the wild. At the sanctuary, the rhinos reside in large, open areas where they can experience a natural rain forest habitat while still receiving state-of-the-art veterinary care and nutrition.

Andalas
Andalas, the Cincinnati-Zoo born rhino who was transferred to Indonesia from the U.S. in 2007, just turned 8 last month! We can’t believe how time flies – it seems like only yesterday we were celebrating this little rhino’s birth. (Andalas was the first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in 112 years.) But Andalas isn’t a little rhino anymore – now he is the largest rhino at the SRS and has recently reached sexual maturity. Having been born and raised in captivity, Andalas is comfortable with humans and is a very playful rhino. While on walks in his forest enclosure, Andalas always tries to “play” with his keepers – often resulting in his keepers having to climb a tree to avoid him. After all, when a 1,700 pound animal wants to play with you, things can get a little dangerous. Because the SRS is located within Way Kambas National Park, other animals, like tapirs, bears, deer and wild pigs, often travel through the sanctuary. Andalas delights in chasing away the pigs that routinely wander into his enclosure. Early morning is Andalas’ favorite time of the day. Every morning, he waits for his keepers at the gate to his enclosure, and starts calling for his breakfast as soon as he hears their approach.

Ratu
Ratu is the most “wild” of all the Sumatran rhinos at the sanctuary. She loves hiding in the forest, and knows every inch of her enclosure. Her keepers have to search the forest for her every morning when they arrive to feed her and conduct a health check. Ratu is very sensitive to her environment – anytime she hears a frog croak, or a branch fall, she stands quietly with erect ears, and then sounds an alert. She routinely patrols and marks her territory by scraping branches and urinating.  Even though Ratu exhibits the most “wild” behavior of the SRS rhinos, she still has a great relationship with her keepers. She likes to try to play with them in the forest, running, rubbing her head against them and sometimes jumping and bucking like a rodeo horse.  She knows her name and will follow when her keepers call to her.

Rosa
Rosa is the largest female rhino at the sanctuary, but she’s actually still just a teenager. Unlike most Sumatran rhinos, Rosa isn’t shy at all – she is extremely acclimated to people and loves their company. (She was actually moved to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary from Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park because unfortunately her lack of fear made her too vulnerable to poachers.)  Every morning, Rosa waits by the far edge of her enclosure, listening for her keepers, and then walks alongside them to the gate. She knows when they are supposed to arrive, and if her keepers are running late in the morning, she starts screaming for them, and everyone at the sanctuary can hear her. Sumatran rhinos are known for their unique squeaking and chirping vocalizations, but Rosa is the loudest of all the rhinos – she practically sings!

Bina
Bina is the grand old lady of the SRS. Generally a calm, quiet rhino, she is usually happy alone, taking walks in her forest enclosure. Bina can be unpredictable though, and sometimes she’ll chase her keepers. She can also get “jealous”. Torgamba is Bina’s favorite male rhino, and sometimes if she sees or hears another female with Torgamba, she makes lots of noise.

Torgamba
Torgamba is the oldest male Sumatran rhino at the SRS, and the oldest Sumatran rhino in captivity in the world. All the female rhinos at the SRS respect him, and so do the keepers. When Torgamba decides to do something, no one can stop him. Because of Torgamba’s age, he suffers from chronic renal disease and anemia, but he remains in great spirits (and remains very interested in female rhinos as well!). Ratu is Torgamba’s favorite female at the SRS.