Malaysia’s last male Sumatran rhinoceros has died, dashing efforts to save the critically endangered species in the country.
The rhino, named Tam, was about 30 years old and lived at a wildlife reserve in Sabah state on Borneo island since his capture in 2008, Christina Liew, state minister for tourism, culture and environment, said in a statement.
The Sumatran rhino, the smallest species of rhinoceros, was declared extinct in the wild in Malaysia in 2015.
In a statement on Facebook said the World Wildlife Fund Malaysia bid farewell to Tam.
“Our hearts are filled with sadness as we mourn not only the loss of wildlife but the loss of a species,” it read.
“With Tam gone, we now only have Iman left, our last female rhino.
“If we are not careful, the Sumatran rhino will not be the only species that will go extinct under our watch.
“Our other prized wildlife like elephants, pangolins, bantengs and clouded leopards will also likely meet the same fate if we don't protect them now.
“Let the loss of Tam be the wakeup call that we need to spring into action. Our wildlife needs protection now and like it or not, we are their only hope.”
Iman, a female captured in 2014, is now the only surviving member of the subspecies left in the country.
Another female rhino, Puntung, died in captivity in 2017.
Wildlife experts estimate that only about 30 to 80 Sumatran rhinos remain in the world, mostly on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and on the Indonesian side of Borneo.
Their isolation, caused by habitat loss and poaching, means they rarely breed and may go extinct in a matter of decades, according to conservation group International Rhino Foundation.
Since 2011, Malaysia has tried to breed the species in captivity through in vitro fertilization, but without success.
Ms Liew said Tam's genetic material has been preserved for future attempts to reproduce Sumatran rhinos.
