Rhino exceeds 10,000 miles in search of mating partners

A rare Sumatran male rhino has been flown by plane from Cincinnati Zoo (USA) to Indonesia to find a mating mate before extinction, the Telegraph reported on November 2.

Sumatran rhinos surpass thousands of miles to find friends mating

This rhino is called Harapan , born in Cincinnati Zoo and for 2 years, it became the last Sumatra rhino in the western hemisphere.

The special rhino arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta in a special travel box on Cathay Pacific's aircraft. After that, the rhino continues to be loaded into the truck to the port of Merak to Sumatra.

Rhino Harapan.(Photo: AP).

'Thankfully, it came here,' said Bambang Dahono Adji, director of the Center for Biodiversity Conservation at the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. He said that Harapan would be 'officially handed over' to Indonesian authorities.

The 816kg rhinoceros underwent a medical examination and was trained to voluntarily enter and remain in the bin before starting the 10,000-mile trip on Friday, October 30.

Animal conservationists hope Harapan can mate with one or all of the three rhinos at Way Kambas National Park. This is Ratu's place - a 12-year-old female rhino born in nature - living. She is currently pregnant for the second time and is expected to have a baby in May next year.

Previously in the US there were 3 Sumatran rhinos, Harapan and its two 'sisters' Andalas and Suci, but these two died from last year at Cincinnati Zoo. Harapan became the last Sumatra rhino in the Western hemisphere.

Experts give rhinos into boxes and transport.(Photo: EPA).

Indonesia has said it does not want to be dependent on other countries for conservation by sending hybrid rhinos abroad. However, the country says it is willing to accept any technological or scientific assistance regarding Sumatra rhino breeding programs.

Sumatra rhinos in Indonesia are seriously threatened by widespread hunting to use horns used in traditional Chinese medicine and deforestation by farmers, loggers and palm oil companies.