Plenty to offer: Despite passing away the Wildlife Department believes Tam’s genes can still contribute to the preservation of the species. “At that time, it was thought to be in its mid-20s, meaning that it was now well into old age for a Sumatran rhino,” she said. After Tam, the only remaining Sumatran rhino is Iman, a female, which is also under thorough care as its health is deteriorating as well. There are only about 100 Sumatran rhinos left in the world, with most of them living in the jungles of Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia. Sabah had many times sought help from Indonesia to get them on board a breeding programme to help save the Sumatran rhino in Sabah, but there is no concrete action.

Source: The Star May 27, 2019 23:15 UTC