BREAKING: Malaysia's last Sumatran rhino dies
Published on: Saturday, November 23, 2019
Kota Kinabalu: Malaysia’s last Sumatran rhinoceros, Iman, a female that had been in captivity at the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in Lahad Datu, died of natural causes at 5.35pm on Saturday.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said she was saddened to hear the news although it was expected despite the round-the-clock attention because it was seriously ill.
ADVERTISEMENT She said Iman was the last of the species known to have survived in the wild in Sabah, barring the capture of any more.
It had been hoped that it would still be possible to obtain some new egg cells from Iman for the proposed Malaysia-Indonesia collaboration on this species.
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However, she died before the Memorandum of Understanding to effect this could be signed. No doubt questions would be asked why such arrangements had not been effected all through the years when the writing was on the wall as to the fate of the Sumatran rhino.
Nevertheless, Christina said she would still pursue the MoU as both Iman and Tam, the male sumatran rhino that died earlier, still live on as cell cultures in Malaysia.