The critically endangered Sumatran rhino population gained a new member in Indonesia last week.
According to Sunny Skyz, the mother, Delilah, gave birth to a 55-pound male calf at the Way Kambas National Park in the Lampung province.
The new calf’s father, Harapan, was repatriated to Indonesia from the Cincinnati Zoo in an effort to gather the Sumatran rhino population in Indonesia and restabilize their numbers.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry celebrated the birth in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Saturday.
Halo #SobatHijau, ada kabar gembira nih!
— Kementerian LHK (@KementerianLHK) November 26, 2023
Telah lahir seekor anak badak sumatera (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) berjenis kelamin jantan dari induk bernama Delilah di Suaka Rhino Sumatera Taman Nasional Way Kambas (SRS TNWK), pada hari Sabtu (25/11). pic.twitter.com/JDJ7Nmgo4W
They also posted video footage of the newborn walking with his mother and stated, “Delilah’s child has been observed to be healthy to date, friend!”
Anak Delilah terpantau sehat sampai saat ini Sob!
— Kementerian LHK (@KementerianLHK) November 27, 2023
Kelahiran pertama Delilah ini berlangsung normal di hutan tanpa bantuan dokter. Anak badak sudah dapat berdiri tegak dan berjalan.
Bahkan saat ditemukan pertama kali, anak badak sudah bisa menyusu dalam posisi berdiri. pic.twitter.com/eEtiuPhemG
“Delilah’s first birth took place normally in the forest without the help of a doctor. The calf can now stand upright and walk,” the post went on.
In another post, the ministry noted, “We are grateful for the fifth birth at SRS TNWK. This birth is also the birth of the second Sumatran rhino in 2023.”
“Kita bersyukur atas kelahiran kelima di SRS TNWK. Kelahiran ini sekaligus menjadi kelahiran badak sumatera kedua di tahun 2023. Hal ini semakin menegaskan komitmen Pemerintah RI dalam melakukan upaya konservasi badak di Indonesia, khususnya badak sumatera,” @SitiNurbayaLHK
— Kementerian LHK (@KementerianLHK) November 26, 2023
“This further confirms the Indonesian Government’s commitment to carrying out rhino conservation efforts in Indonesia, especially the Sumatran rhino,” the ministry concluded.
The thread included multiple images and noted that the “condition of mother & calf is well monitored.”
Satyawan: kondisi induk & anak badak terpantau baik. Anak badak sudah dapat berdiri tegak & berjalan. Tak lama setelah ditemukan sudah bisa menyusu dlm posisi berdiri. Saat ini, mereka sudah berada di dlm kandang perawatan (boma) SRS TNWK, dengan berat badan anak badak 25 kg. pic.twitter.com/GDQD8wNm3z
— Kementerian LHK (@KementerianLHK) November 26, 2023
Terri Roth, director of the Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), is quoted in a statement posted by the zoo, noting, “It was a long, arduous journey for all involved, and not without risks.
“Although it took several years before Harapan achieved what he was sent to do, this birth of his first calf at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) confirms that we made the right decision,” she said.
Roth added, “Our efforts and sacrifice were worth it, and the ultimate goal has been achieved.”
“We are so grateful for the wonderful partnership we have shared with our Indonesian colleagues for over two decades and so very proud of their success,” she said.