Animals captured in sabah for captive breeding in Sepilok. 1993, 5 June, male, caught at Bulud, Sukau. Radio-tagged and released in Tabin Wildlife Reserve on 30 Nov 1993.
Animals captured in Sabah for captive breeding in Sepilok: 1987 28 March, male, caught at Linbar, Kinabatangan. 1993 5 June, male, caught at Bulud, Sukau. Radio-tagged and released in Tabin Wildlife Reserve on 30 Nov 1993. 1995 22 Nov, male, caught at Malbumi Estate, Sukau.
Sabah - Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. Male caught in Sabah on 5.5.91 died of tetanus on 8.5.95.
In March 1995, Sabah was allocated $411,334 for a 3-year rhino project under the sponsorship of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This funding is mainly for the provision of facilities, manpower and technical support for the protection of this endangered species in situ. It incorporates minimal provision for captive breeding. The Wildlife Department, with the advice of Dr. Tom Foose and Dr. Nico van Strien, decided to activate its own breeding programme in July 1995.
Sabah. Tabanus sp. Female in captive breeding centre - She was not bothered by the presence of Tabanus flies.
Sabah, Managed Breeding Centre. The oestrus cycle was estimated to be between 28 to 30 days. During oestrus, the female was restless, with a swollen vulva and soft, clear, stringy mucoid discharge from the vagina. The vulva could remain swollen for five days. The discharge could be seen when the female was lying on her side. It was difficult to see the mucous when she was covered with mud but it was possible to see it when the vulva was opened manually.
Although much original forest habitat is being lost, the Sumatran Rhino survives even better in secondary forest and land where logging has occurred.
Sabah, Managed Breeding Centre. During penetration, the two flaps remained flaccid.
Sabah, Managed Breeding Centre. Our experience with (F) 'Lumparai' indicates that mating is most likely to take place at least 20 hours after the mucoid discharge appears. This knowledge is useful for reducing the duration of courtship in capture. We observed that mating occurred in late afternoon. Both mountings of Sidom, to Gologob and Lumparai, were accomplished after 15.00hrs. The male only mounted when the female was quiet and still. When the site was not conducive to mounting, he pushed her gently from behind in order to move her where he wanted. He placed his lower jaw on her back and then lifted both front legs, one at a time. When there was stability he extended his penis, which became erect. He swung his penis towards the vaginal orifice, moving back slowly to avoid catching his penis between the female's thighs. During penetration, the two flaps remained flaccid. Mounting lasted for up to eight minutes but the actual copulation took a maximum of about two minutes. There were thrusting movements of the hindquarters during copulation.
Sabah, Managed Breeding Centre. Signs of Oestrous. Mucoid discharge. It was difficult to look for mucoid discharge in Gologob because of the mud cover and her activity near the wall. However, on two occasions we were able to see mucous in the vagina by manual manipulation to open the vulva when she was lying down on her side. Cycle. Gologob came into oestrus on 31 July 1995, 28 August 1995 and 28 September 1995. Based on these dates, we estimated the oestrus cycle to be between 28 to 30 days. Therefore, we made plans to mate her on 27 October 1995.
In 1985, the State Government of Sabah's Rhino and Wildlife Conservation Committee (SRWCC) established a local capture and breeding programme. The capture programme was activated in 1987 and began with the capture of rhinos that were exposed to poachers due to the loss of their habitat. The SRWCC, which evolved into a highly trained and efficient capture team, was absorbed into the Wildlife Department Sabah (WDS) when the latter, which was formally the Wildlife Unit of the Forestry Department Sabah, was elevated into a Department under the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Development, Sabah, in 1988. In March 1995, Sabah was allocated $411,334 for a 3-year rhino project under the sponsorship of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This funding is mainly for the provision of facilities, manpower and technical support for the protection of this endangered species in situ. It incorporates minimal provision for captive breeding. The Wildlife Department, with the advice of Dr. Tom Foose and Dr. Nico van Strein, decided to activate its own breeding programme in July 1995. [1995] The Rhino Breeding Centre Sepilok (RBCS) currently has 3/2. The facility is comprised of five individual stalls or pens, a breeding enclosure and a 2.5 acre enclosure. The walls are made from tropical hardwood ('belian'). On 3 July 1995, a female, Gologob, was released into the 2.5 acre enclosure. The 2.5 acre enclosure is part of the 4,300 ha Sepilok Forest Reserve. It took less than two months for Gologob to 'clear' the vegetation. She continued to be given green feeds daily, along with water and a salt lick. Animals captured, 1987-1995 1987 28 March, male, caught at Linbar, Kinabatangan. Died in pit due to internal injury and respiratory failure 1987 14 July, male, 'Tenegang', died in Sepilok in 1991 1988 24 May, male, died in the pit. 1989 22 April, female, 'Lumparai' - mated 28.10.95 1991 5 May, male, 'Takala', died in Sepilok 8 May 1995 due to tetanus. 1992 27 Aug, male, 'Sidom', 1993 5 June, male, caught at Bulud, Sukau. Radio-tagged and released in Tabin Wildlife Reserve on 30 Nov 1993. 1993 20 July, male, 'Tanjung' 1994 17 June, female, 'Gologob', mated 26.10.95 1995 22 Nov, male, caught at Malbumi Estate, Sukau, arrived in Sepilok on 25 Nov 1995.
Sabah Managed Breeding Centre - Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. It is advisable to have a mud wallow in the breeding enclosure. The breeding enclosure should have undulating topography for easier mating to occur. It takes about two months for one rhino to clear one hectare of jungle with low vegetation. This is useful information for future planning of rhino enclosures. It is necessary to ensure that there is ample space to facilitate contact between the male and female, to detect oestrus and to observe mating.
Sabah, Managed Breeding Centre. The female was obviously interested in the male when she was in oestrus. The male would go to the common gate to make lip contact and to lock horns. The female would walk or pace along the wall, followed by the male on the other side. The male was not interested in the female if she was not in oestrus. The male could be aggressive when pursuing the female. He could push or knock her hard on the abdomen until she ran away from him. In this situation the female and male had to be separated to avoid injuries. The female in oestrus could tease the male by running for a short distance and looking back. If he pursued her, she would walk away. In some cases, when the male did not pursue her, she would return to him.
Sabah, Managed Breeding Centre. We released her into the breeding enclosure during the morning of 28 October 1995 but there was no mutual interest with Sidom. She spent her time in the mud wallow while Sidom walked about. We put Sidom into the individual pen and returned him at 14.54 hours. This time Sidom went across and displaced Lumparai from the wallow. At 16.00hrs when he began to show interest in Lumpurai and pursue her. There was a long courtship before he had the opportunity to mount her. We observed six mountings before it became dark. In the morning we noticed that Sidom was in the wallow while Lumparai had another wallow near the gate. We decided to return Lumparai to her pen at 09.00hrs on 29 October.
