20
Reports of Sumatran Rhino. have been received from about 50 km north of Pekanbaru
The Torgamba area in which our joint Howletts and Indonesian government capture operation has chosen to work, between the villages of Bakambatu and Tanjungmedan in Riau province, exemplifies the problems. In this area, a patch of about 30,000 ha of forest has been surrounded by oil-palm plantations, except for a large swamp on its eastern side. Logging roads intersect the forest in all directions, allowing access to illegal settlers, and disrupting the rhinos' usual patterns of movement. Within this area, a population of about 20 rhino has become marooned without access to the forested hinterland. Prof. Rubini Atmawidjaja, Director-General of the Directorate of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHPA) of the Ministry of Forestry, has had to intervene personally to freeze logging in this area for the next three years. Nothing could illustrate the problem more dramatically than the fact that the two Sumatran rhino our operation captured in June 1986 - the male ?Napangga' on the 15th, and the female ?Subur' on the 22nd - both had serious leg wounds indicated by trappers' snare-wires, the wires still deeply embedded in the flesh. There seems little doubt that had we not captured these two animals, they would have died a lingering death from gangrene.
October 3 - 4, 1984: Ad hoc Sumatran rhinoceros meeting convened by the IUCN/SSC in Singapore discusses pros and cons of captive breeding.
May 24, 1985: The joint agreement signed by Indonesian Government and Howletts & Port Lympne Zoo Park, UK. August 1985: Howletts-Indonesian joint project goes ahead. September 1985: Base camp constructed at Torgamba. September - October 1985: Survey of rhino trails, under the supervision of capture expert, Tony Parkinson, working with Indonesian rangers and foresters in training. November 25, 1985: young male 'Torgamba' found in pit trap, and transferred to a pen the next day. Almost hairless at first, he grew a long coat of hair in captivity. Transferred after eight weeks to one of two specially constructed base camp paddocks, 400 m?.
1982: First discussions between Indonesian authorities and Howletts & Port Lympne Zoo Park, UK.
To date all the animals are doing well in captivity. Perhaps the most valuable lesson we have learned, for this operation and for future ventures, is that the pit trap, while dangerously susceptible to flooding during the monsoonal rains, is less stressful for the Sumatran rhino than the stockade type, perhaps because it is darker and movement is more restricted inside it. However, once caught in a pit trap, the animal must be moved to a holding pen nearby as soon as possible.
Captured animals to 1986. Howlett & Port Lympne 2 'Torgamba' and 'Subur' Jakarta Zoo 1 Torgamba base Camp, Riau prov 1 Malacca Zoo, Malaysia 4 Bangkok Zoo 1 Sex ratio 3 male, 6 female End
January 23, 1986: Adult female found in stockade trap, in panic. She died the same day, apparently from a cerebral haiemorrhage induced by self inflicted injuries when banging herself against the stockade fencing in an effort to escape. March 24, 1986: A second young male 'Jalu' caught in pit trap, later moved to Jakarta Zoo, where Howletts' staff are training Indonesians to manage and breed the Sumatran rhino. April 1986: 'Torgamba' travelled 200 km by truck to the port of Dumai for transfer to a ship bound for Singapore. After.a three-day voyage, he transited at Singapore's Changi International Airport and left on April 4, on a Singapore Airlines Combi (Passenger-freight) Big Top jumbo jet for Manchester airport, UK, where he travelled another seven hours by lorry to Howletts in Kent. June 15, 1986: Capture of third male, 'Napangga' in pit trap - still at base camp partly because of infected snare wound on leg. Snare wire successfully removed without anaesthesia. June 22, 1986: Capture of a female, 'Subur'. Infected snare wound on leg successfully treated and snare-wire removed under anaesthesia by Dr. Thomas Begg. August 25, 1986: 'Subur' moved to Singapore, this time via Airfast Charter plane to Seletar Aerodrome, then to Changi Airport for SIA flight to Manchester, UK, as with 'Torgamba'.
