The future of the Sumatran and javan rhinos on captivity
- Thread starter Diegooo
- Start date
It is unlikely they will be held in captivity again. The Sumatran rhinoceros captive breeding program has become somewhat notorious for its failure - not strictly the well-known failure in breeding but also the failure to keep the animals comfortable in captivity. There is a general sense among conservation-minded people that the rhinos may have been better off left in the wild than brought into captivity, and that too many deaths occurred. This has influenced the reluctance to do anything further with either species. The Javan rhinos all live in a single (massive) national park now and their numbers have not improved enough for conservationists to consider removing some from that environment. Since all rhinos reproduce quite slowly, they do not repopulate quickly and more so than some other critically endangered animals, every birth counts, so there is a lot of fear of doing anything that could lead to unnecessary deaths and jeopardize that.
I am probably the furthest thing from a zoologist on this website there is and I am sure some more experienced or better-read users can produce finer points for you than this.
I am probably the furthest thing from a zoologist on this website there is and I am sure some more experienced or better-read users can produce finer points for you than this.
Both are in very dire situations but have experienced some nice breeding success in recent years.
There are some Sumatrans in captivity in Sumatra - but I don't see them (or Javans) being placed into captivity elsewhere anytime soon. Sumatrans have been tried in captivity in the past and haven't done well (and not only in the breeding aspect).
I'm also of strong hope they will not go extinct. Efforts over in Indonesia towards both species have been wonderful and are yielding incredible results so fingers crossed both species will continue to improve going forward.
That isn't strictly true - their numbers have long-since reached the carrying capacity for the national park, and this is why population expansion has severely dropped off to "mere" replacement level. As such, there is an extremely good case for relocating some animals elsewhere to allow the population to further expand both at the initial location and any secondary location - especially given the highly vulnerable location of the existing population immediately next to a notoriously active and explosive volcano!
The reason this hasn't happened yet comes down to two things; politics and fear. However, the future looks much brighter for Javan Rhinoceros than it does for Sumatran I fear ...
To clarify some things (unless it has changed since I have last read), there are two active centers and one in development for Sumatran Rhino in captivity. One is in Sumatra and another is in Borneo. The last is under development in Aceh, northern Sumatra. The center in Sumatra holds 7 animals, and the center in Borneo holds one animal currently. All three centers are managed by the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary.
There are no Javan rhino in captivity, but they did relatively well in the past. Occasionally they were mistaken for small Greater One Horn/Indian Rhinoceros and mislabeled in documents. There are no plans to bring them into captivity, but their wild breeding has actually been pretty successful. There are hopes to release them in heavily protected wild areas, if one can be identified and set up.
I am one of the hopeful that thinks one or both of these species may be present in small numbers in Burma/Myanmar and other areas of southeast Asia.
There are no Javan rhino in captivity, but they did relatively well in the past. Occasionally they were mistaken for small Greater One Horn/Indian Rhinoceros and mislabeled in documents. There are no plans to bring them into captivity, but their wild breeding has actually been pretty successful. There are hopes to release them in heavily protected wild areas, if one can be identified and set up.
I am one of the hopeful that thinks one or both of these species may be present in small numbers in Burma/Myanmar and other areas of southeast Asia.
Indeed the last zoo Javan rhinoceros, which lived in Adelaide Zoo from 12th April 1886 until it died on 4th February 1907, was labelled as an Indian rhino; it wasn't identified as a Javan rhino until long after its death when its remains were examined in the Adelaide Museum.
Last edited:
For once I'm agree, that both species should not be kept in captivity outside of their natural range AT THE MOMENT.
However, I still think that the judgement for the last attempts to keep and breed Sumatran Rhinos ex-situ (USA and UK) isn't fair. The "initial material" with less then a dozen individuals, whom some/many were not able to bred (e.g. too old) couldn't be successfull in a longer term. But even then Cincinnati showed, that keeping this species for a longer period as well as breeding and raising was possible...
And MAYBE - regarding the long experience with their closest relatives, the Greater One-horned Rhinos - keeping and breeding Javan Rhinos in captivity isn't that difficult. So if there is a sufficient stock in the wild one day, zoos could also get individuals and join the efforts against extinction of Javan Rhinos.
However, I still think that the judgement for the last attempts to keep and breed Sumatran Rhinos ex-situ (USA and UK) isn't fair. The "initial material" with less then a dozen individuals, whom some/many were not able to bred (e.g. too old) couldn't be successfull in a longer term. But even then Cincinnati showed, that keeping this species for a longer period as well as breeding and raising was possible...
And MAYBE - regarding the long experience with their closest relatives, the Greater One-horned Rhinos - keeping and breeding Javan Rhinos in captivity isn't that difficult. So if there is a sufficient stock in the wild one day, zoos could also get individuals and join the efforts against extinction of Javan Rhinos.
One of my big regrets is not going to Cincinnati to see them before they left. It seemed like there would be time...and then they were gone. I just missed seeing them in San Diego as a child, the habitat was still empty and set up for them when we made it there.
@SwampDonkey: Exactly the same happens to me...
Missed them at San Diego and did not travel to Cinci as long as they had them.
Missed them at San Diego and did not travel to Cinci as long as they had them.
Sumatran rhino breeding in captivity seems to have been a failure. In the case of Javan rhinos I think it would he wise to start a captive population when the national park population gets beyond the carrying capacity. Maybe a small group to see if they will breed.
I have not read any serious proposals to bring Javan rhinos into captivity for breeding. Every proposal I have read revolves around finding suitable wild environments to release them into. IMO this is better. While I love having endangered animals in captivity as a hedge against extinction, sometimes it does not makes sense.
Well, this is very good news to hear and I appreciate hearing it. It is good to know there is hope for the Javan Rhinoceros!
Interesting, I appreciate that perspective. There is a part of me that often wonders if past failures (eighties and earlier) were more a reflection on a less advanced zoological world and an overconfidence in importing animals before husbandry is figured out, but often the fine details aren't available to me. I am not the best read zoochatter.
Some of the problems with the Sumatrans kept if the 80s were diet related and some were the animals supplied, the first female at the Port Lymph zoo in the UK was aged and carrying a leg injury from a poachers snare.
As for the Javans they are doing ok currently with the latest number said to be 74
There's also said to be around only 34-37 Sumatrans remaining in the wild so unfortunately they're doing much worse than their Javan counterparts.
Its much easier to watch all the eggs in one basket as with the Javans than keep an eye on a very scattered population as is the case with the Sumatran rhino.
This is true but a disease outbreak, wildfire, tsunami, or volcanic eruption can doom that population. A second population somewhere would be ideal, whether it is captive or wild.
That is one of the reasons they are actively trying to find more or raise more on the Borneo site. The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary is working with the Malaysian government on projects to use frozen eggs and sperm that Malaysia holds. There is also work to find more Bornean rhinos to put in that sanctuary. That is also why they are making a second Sumatran site, for the rhinos in that part of the island. Sumatra and Borneo are massive islands, so having an additional site on either or both is a huge step.
You are replying to a post which was talking about the Javan requiring a second population, not Sumatran
Ha, oops! Thanks for the correctionYou are replying to a post which was talking about the Javan requiring a second population, not Sumatran
In regards to Javan rhino...there are teams looking for them on the mainland still, it is possible that small populations exist in pockets of Burma/Myanmar, Vietnam or Malaysia....but very few animals. It is likely a new park will be identified and animals moved eventually....but that could be a while off.
In response to some of the numbers mentioned in this thread: Be very careful of taking the census of a well studied population at a single site, and the estimated number of a scattered, fragmented, and drastically understudied population across multiple islands, and comparing them at face value as if they are equivalent.