A sanctuary in Indonesia celebrated the birth of a Sumatran rhino on Saturday, November 24th, 2023.  The baby rhino was the first for his mother, Delilah, as well as his father, Harapan.  The baby calf was said to be healthy at birth and, “…was born with no fuss or fanfare,” according to Nina Fascione, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation. Delilah and her male calf were found 10 days earlier than the estimated delivery date by a conservation guard. Harapan was born in 2006 at a zoo in Cincinnati and was the last rhino to be born outside of Indonesia, but he was eventually moved there. As for the mother, she was born in an Indonesian sanctuary back in 2012.

The baby calf has yet to be named, but the growth of the species within this last year has given us a lot of hope for the future. This calf, along with another calf born a few months prior, is very critical to the survival of the species as there are fewer than 50 left. This species used to exist in great numbers in Southeast Asia; now the entire Sumatran species is said to be living together in Indonesia to give them lower chances of being hunted. Habitat loss has also driven these rhinos to occupy smaller areas of Indonesia.

These rhinos are the smallest living rhinos and the only Asian ones with two horns. This, as well as their near-extinction, plays into just how valuable their horns are. This is why none of the species are living in the wild and they are all taken care of to ensure the species grows. Two rhinos being born back-to-back in 2023 is huge, especially considering they’ve only had five born since 2012.