The Star 22 Nov 10;
KOTA KINABALU: Concerns are growing among conservationists over the slow breeding rate of Sabah’s endangered Borneo Sumatran Rhinoceros.
Despite the large, forested Borneo Rhino Sanctuary set up in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, their numbers have yet to multiply.
“We are quite concerned because evidence shows that the rhinos have not multiplied despite the abundant forest where they can thrive,” said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.
He said the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary was vital towards the conservation of the animal, now believed to number less than 50 in the world.
Conservationists are hoping to multiply the rhinos through captive breeding at the 20ha site of the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary.
“I hope there is a better chance to get the animals to breed through efforts at the sanctuary,” he said.
However, the state minister warned that this would be difficult as some experts suspected that the rhino’s reproduction cycle might have hit a stalemate after being affected by fragmented forests.
Masidi said the state government was also open to the idea of having collaborative breeding programmes with Indonesia.
However, he said such programmes would only be considered after local efforts to breed the animals were carried out.
“We prefer to do this as we fear that relocating the animals to distant areas will cause the rhinos unnecessary stress,” he added.
