A sign of hope
Jun 22nd, 2010 by wwftravel
First-ever camera trap photo of a Sumatran rhinoceros in the wild. The camera trap had been set up by WWF in the Bornean jungle of Sabah. © WWF-Malaysia/Raymond Alfred
Images of the near-extinct Sumatran rhino were recently captured by WWF’s camera traps in Borneo. Camera traps are simply everyday cameras armed with infrared sensors that take a picture whenever they sense movement in the forest. Pictures obtained from the camera traps help scientists to study wildlife and their habitats.
Experts believe the rhino caught on film is pregnant, a discovery that provides hope for the future of the species. This exciting finding has added urgency to the enforcement of anti-poaching laws in the region’s forest and wildlife reserves to ensure the future existence of the Sumatran rhino. The rhinos found on Borneo are considered to be a separate subspecies from the rhinos on Sumatra and mainland Malaysia.Currently, Borneo’s Sumatran rhino population is estimated to be less than 30 animals.
Learn more about WWF’s work to save the Sumatran rhino.
Visit Borneo with WWF in 2011.
I visited Borneo a couple of years ago and was amazed at the deforestation “efforts” by illegal loggers – this is truly wonderful news, though. There is hope after all.