Last surviving female rhino Iman is dying
Published on: Thursday, November 21, 2019
By: Sherell Jeffrey
KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia’s last surviving female rhino Iman may follow the fate of Tam, the last male that died in May, this year. And it may be sooner than expected, possibly in the coming months.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Christina Liew, told a media conference, Wednesday, that the tumours in Iman’s uterus, detected soon after her capture in March 2014, have been growing since.
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Since her capture in 2014, no other Sumatran rhinoceros was detected in Sabah. Tam died of old age and attempts to make him reproduce through Iman and another that died earlier, Puntung, failed. Puntung was put down, also after falling victim to cancer in 2017.
“A team led by Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin, who are looking after Iman in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, reported that her health is steadily declining. Although not malignant, they are spreading to her urinary bladder,” said Liew. “The veterinarians told me there is no way to halt the growth of these tumours and surgery to remove them always was and still is too dangerous – there would be inevitable major blood loss that would result in her quick demise.”
It was noted that Iman’s weight at 476kg has also dropped by 44kg, less than her average weight over the past few years. Despite being given the best care and best selection of food with veterinarians assigned to watch her round-the-clock, the 25-year-old rhino is not eating her normal amount.
“The situation reminds us of the case of Puntung, who was euthanised on 4 June 2017, because her squamous cell carcinoma was incurable and she was suffering pain,” said Liew.
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Liew said that various options on the best thing to do will need to be considered based on the advice of experienced veterinarians. It is understood that the Ministry through its Wildlife Department had harvested one egg from Iman which they hope to be able to fertilise with sperm from younger rhinos in Indonesia.
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The fertilisation process can be carried out either in UMS’ laboratory in Sandakan or in Indonesia which has similar facilities.
“Whatever happens, I would like to assure interested parties that our interest to collaborate with Indonesia remains strong because we want to play our role to help prevent what is emerging as the first mammal species extinction of the twenty-first century.
“The Memorandum of Understanding that I understand is nearly ready to be signed with Indonesia includes collaboration on research, reproductive biology, husbandry and exchange of knowledge and experience,” she said.
She added: “Together with our collaborators in Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany, we in Sabah now have unique experience of managing the sorts of reproductive pathology that also occur in rhinos in Indonesia, as well as the application of various advanced reproductive technologies to Sumatran rhinos,” she said.
“We can’t wait any longer, we need to do it (fertilisation of Iman’s egg) urgently, but there are terms and conditions that we need to agree upon before we can start the procedure.” Liew who hopes to make the trip to Indonesia next week.
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Among the points to be discussed is where the baby rhino (if successful) will go to – Malaysia or to Indonesia.