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  WWF 17 Mar 06
Rhinos clinging to survival in the heart of Borneo

PlanetArk 17 Mar 05
Only 13 Endangered Rhinos Found On Borneo - WWF

SWITZERLAND: March 17, 2006 GENEVA - Poachers have killed most endangered rhinoceroses in a rainforest on the island of Borneo, but at least 13 have survived, WWF International said on Friday.

The Swiss-based conservation group said it and Malaysian authorities have put in place protection units to patrol Sabah state in northern Borneo, where experts found evidence of 13 rare Sumatran rhinos during an extensive survey last year.

"Poaching has decimated Borneo's once-healthy rhino population, but we were heartened to find that a few individuals have managed to cling to survival," said Raymond Alfred of WWF-Malaysia.

Previous estimates had suggested there were 30 to 70 rhinos on Borneo, all in Sabah, one of two Malaysian provinces on the forest-covered island. Rhinos in Sarawak, the other Malaysian state, and on the Indonesian side of Borneo are believed to be extinct, it said.

Fewer than 300 Sumatran rhinos are believed to be left in the world and they are considered one of the most endangered rhino species because of intense poaching, according to the WWF, previously known as the World Wildlife Fund.

The survey's findings were withheld until protection could be organised for the rhinos due to continued poaching fears, it added.

Rhino horn, mainly sold for use in traditional Asian medicines, carries a high price on the black market. "We believe this population may be viable and could recover if their habitat is protected and the threat of poaching is eliminated," said Christy Williams of WWF's Asian rhino programme.

Sumatran rhinos are only found in peninsular Malaysia and on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia, according to WWF.

WWF 17 Mar 06
Rhinos clinging to survival in the heart of Borneo

Gland, Switzerland: A field survey in the Malaysian state of Sabah and analysis of data on historical rhino habitat have found that poaching has significantly reduced Borneo's population of Sumatran rhinos in recent years, but a small group of rhinos continues to survive in the 'Heart of Borneo', a region covered with vast tracks of rainforest.

The survey--conducted in 2005 by teams of more than 100 field staff from WWF, local wildlife officials and others--found evidence of at least 13 rhinos in the interior of Sabah.

"Poaching has decimated Borneo's once-healthy rhino population, but we were heartened to find that a few individuals have managed to cling to survival," said Raymond Alfred of WWF-Malaysia. "Conservationists and Sabah government agencies are working hard to ensure this small population is protected and can grow."

In addition to the 13 rhinos found in the interior of Sabah, scattered individuals still survive as well in other parts of Sabah that weren't covered by the study. Previous estimates of rhino numbers had suggested there were 30 to 70 rhinos on the island of Borneo, all in Sabah. Populations on the Indonesian side of the island and in the Malaysian state of Sarawak are believed to be extinct.

There are believed to be fewer than 300 Sumatran rhinos left in the world and they are considered one of the most endangered rhino species because of the intensity of poaching.

Rhino numbers globally have been devastated because rhino horn carries a high price on the black market, where it is predominantly sold for use in traditional Asian medicines.

As poaching is such a threat to this species, the survey results were not released until strong protection measures could be put in place in the areas where the rhinos are found. Those security measures were recently installed.

WWF-Malaysia and partners last month launched a five-year project called "Rhino Rescue" that will organize rhino protection units and other activities to deter poaching. Sumatran rhinos are only found in widely scattered areas across peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

"The results from the survey of Borneo's rhinos are crucial additions to our scientific understanding of the species," said Dr Christy Williams of WWF's Asian rhino programme. "We believe this population may be viable and could recover if their habitat is protected and the threat of poaching is eliminated."

Sabah and the forests of the 'Heart of Borneo' still hold huge tracts of continuous natural forests, which are some of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth, with high numbers of unique animal and plant species.

This is one of the world's only two places--the other being Indonesia's Sumatra Island--where orang-utans, elephants and rhinos still co-exist and where forests are currently large enough to maintain viable populations.

WWF aims to assist Borneo's three nations (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia) to conserve the 'Heart of Borneo' --a total of 220,000 sq km of equatorial rainforest--through a network of protected areas and sustainably managed forest, and through international cooperation led by the Bornean governments and supported by a global effort.
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