a worthy campaign by honda malaysia – save the sumatran rhino!
Today I am going to write about the Sumatran Rhinoceros.
The Sumatran Rhino is dying out! 
Since 1990, the Sumatran Rhinoceros (scientific name: Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, local name: badak sumbu) has been identified as ‘the most seriously endangered species of large mammals in the world’. In other words, out of the five rhinoceros species, the Sumatran Rhino is one of the four that is critically endangered. Any more poaching and habitat loss, it would end up like the dodo.
Why should you give a darn? Hmm… good question. Well, if I were to have my own children, I would want them to be able to see a rhinoceros in real life. Not in pictures, not in movies, not flash animated, but in the flesh, even if I would have to drag them to a zoo (”what mom, actually going OUT?! That is so medieval…”).
A Sumatran Rhino saying hi…
The last time I saw a rhino was at the Perth Zoo. It was a Southern White Rhinoceros, it was big and rather smelly (I mean, what did you expect?), and… that’s it. The kids there loved the giant, and I could only imagine our kids experiencing the same feelings of awe when seeing a real rhino at the zoo. I am not sure if there’s a Sumatran rhino in our local zoo, maybe it’s time I go visit Zoo Negara…
The Sumatran rhino is considered a Malaysian heritage because it’s the only rhino species found in Malaysia. Among the 5 existing rhino species, the Sumatran rhino is the smallest in size (weighing between 600kg – 950kg), but no less in stature. It is estimated that there are only 300 Sumatran rhinos left in the entire world. Could be more, could be less, most likely to be less. Doesn’t help that their lifespan is about 50 years, and it takes a long time for them to breed…
Some folks measuring the size of a Sumatran rhino foot print…
As mentioned earlier, the two most damaging reasons why the Sumatran rhinos are endangered are:
1) Loss of habitat, due to excessive and illegal logging
2) Poaching, mostly ‘thanks’ to the perceived value of its horns
In traditional Chinese medicine, the rhinoceros horn in powdered form is prescribed for fevers and convulsions. The rich would prefer to buy the more expensive rhinoceros horn (Wikipedia.org cited it to be at least US$200 per gram), rather than the cheaper substitutes like water buffalo horn. I think you can see an example of such beliefs in the ‘cooling water’ being sold in abundance everywhere…
Well, all these and more are threatening the lives and very existence of the Sumatran rhinoceros. Sien is an understatement.
Honda-WWF Rhino Rescue Project
With all that in mind, Honda Malaysia took the initiative to partner with WWF Malaysia. Together they came up with a 5-year project to save the Sumatran rhinos. The collaboration includes a contribution RM 5 million over a span of 5 years, as well as various activities and campaigns to raise awareness about the endangered Sumatran rhino. Something like this blog post, and I hope I’ve done my part 
Be a Sumatran Rhino friend!
Honda’s Rhino Rescue Project was initiated in 2006, and the cause is considered to be one of the most challenging conservation efforts. Well for the sake of the Sumatran rhinos, I hope the project succeeds, and that they would continue to commit to the cause long after the project’s time line.
Doe-eyed school children part of the conservation efforts.. raising awareness, that is
To end, here’s a summary of past events for the Honda Malaysia & WWF-Malaysia Rhino Rescue Project:
- January 2006 – Launch of Rhino Rescue Project
- June 2006 – WWF-Malaysia First Photo of Sumatran Rhino in the Wild
- October 2006 – Feature Article on Rhino Rescue Project
- November 2006 – Interview with WWF-Malaysia Team Leaders
- January / February 2007 – Honda Malaysia School Programme to 4 Primary Schools in Klang Valley
- April 2007 – WWF-Malaysia Captured First Video Footage of Sumatran Rhino in the Wild
Upcoming events:
- August / September 2007 – Honda Malaysia School Programme to 8 Primary Schools in Klang Valley
- January 2008 – Honda Malaysia School Programme to 4 Primary Schools in Johor Bahru
- March 2008 – Honda Malaysia School Programme to 4 Primary Schools in Penang
Good luck
Almost almost end note: You can read more about the rhinoceros and Sumatran rhino on Wikipedia.org here and here. More from other blogs: Nuffnang, Suet Li
Almost end note: Do check out their flashy website here: http://www.honda.com.my/rhino. There are some stuff that you may find interesting, e.g. one single recycled glass bottle would save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes. Heh, I spent a significant amount of time on the website yesterday 
End note: If you are a blogger and want to be a Sumatran Rhino friend (for what purpose you ask? I just think it’s cool ), you can put up a small banner on your blog to show your support for the worthy cause. You can hotlink and obtain other information you need here.
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Hmmm, so no running over those timber tycoon that destroy the rhino habitats? Wait a minutes, I see paper bags.
ahhh but they are most likely to be recycled paper bags
‘Any more poaching and habitat loss, it would end up like the dodo.’
How would you get the Rhino into the poacher to cook it?
Of course, I did hear poached Dodos were deliscious … but, I’m a vegetarain, so I’ll pass on the poached Rhino.
‘Why should you give a darn? ‘
Because the Rhino serves a purpose in the eco system, and to lose such an animal due to human activity is stupid. The eco system gets upset and we start to lose other things and it leads to the land turning into arid desert [in some places], but mostly, the lose of all sorts of creatures [not just one]. Of course, as you kill off the top of the food chain [which is most big predatorial animals, such as the tigers etc], we start to find some of the smaller animals turn into plagues of things …
But … there is a lot more that’s been said about this sort of thing elsewhere. I’ll get back ot making jokes.
‘It was a Southern White Rhinoceros, it was big and rather smelly’
Actually, it was me in a suit! But, the smell is because they haven’t washed that suit in decades! Talk about unhygenic!
‘it’s the only rhino species found in Malaysia’
Other than when I was there … but of course, I’m not native to Malaysia, I was just living there.
‘weighing between 600kg – 950kg’
I’ve lost a little. Let’s face it, compared to other Rhino’s I’m darn anorexic!!!
‘it takes a long time for them to breed…’
Which is sort of weird. They have bad eye site. You think they’d be less picky about a mate!!!! Of course, the problem might be because they’re in a nightclub going, ‘Is anyone else actually in here! I can’t see a thing in this light.’ So that might explain why they never pick up!
Another reason for saving them is they look quite cute! Especially the logo as well. It’s also cute! We must save all cute things, less the ugly things of the world take over!
I used to – occasionally – drink the cooling water; my body produces lots of “heat”. The medicine hall people told me there were no animal parts in it (”name only, no real rhino horn one!”), and it made me feel better.
Oh, did you know that the “horn” is actually made up of compressed hair? You’d get almost the same amount of benefits from chewing your fingernails.
i guess i am guilty… i have drank the rhino horn water before… very nice i must say. and yeah, it’s cooling, i was very sick then.
POor Rhino’s… Dai Sei!!!! Haha…
we used to have Javan rhino..but it’s loally extict in malaysia..
and if we dont do something now, we’re gonna lose sumatran rhino as well..
we only have less than 50 rhino in peninsula..
the main problem is poaching..cos someone out there is offering lotsa money for rhino..
very recently, endau-rompin is no longer holding viable population of rhino..
and royal belum is showing the trend too..
can we count on taman negara??
if the trend continue, the only hope will be sabah..and sumatera..and lastly, Cincinnati Zoo