Sumatran Rhinoceros Becomes Extinct in Malaysia After Last of the Species Dies of Cancer
MALAYSIA – The Sumatran rhinoceros has become extinct in Malaysia after the last of the species in the country succumbed to cancer on Saturday.
Iman, the 25-year-old rhino, died on Saturday after suffering significant pain from growing pressure of the uterine tumors to her bladder, according to The Wildlife Department in eastern Sabah state on Borneo island.
Her death comes six months after the death of the country’s only male rhino in Sabah. Another female rhino also died in captivity in 2017 in the state.
According to the article of Dailymail, she had diagnosed with tumors since being captured in March 2014. Then department director Augustine Tuuga said that Iman’s death will come sooner than expected.
The rhino died at 5:35 pm local time (09.35 GMT) on Saturday, according to Malaysia’s officials. Efforts to breed them have been futile but Sabah authorities have harvested their cells for possible reproduction.
“It is with great sadness that the Sabah Wildlife Department announces the death of Iman, the last Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia, at 5:35 pm on Nov 23, 2019, ” said Sabah State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Christine Liew.
Sabah environment minister Christina Liew said: ‘Despite us knowing that this would happen sooner rather than later, we are so very saddened by this news.
‘Its death was a natural one, and the immediate cause has been categorised as shock.
‘Iman was given the very best care and attention since her capture in March 2014 right up to the moment she passed.’
The species once roamed across Asia as far as India, but its numbers have shrunk drastically due to deforestation and poaching. The WWF conservation group estimates that there are only about 80 left, mostly living in the wild in Sumatra and Borneo.
What can you say about this article? Just feel free to leave your reaction in the comment section.