Genetic study offers good news for endangered Sumatran rhinoceros

Context

A genome study involving the last remaining populations of the Sumatran rhinoceros — a solitary rainforest dweller — is providing what scientists called good news about the prospects of saving this critically endangered species from extinction.

Key-highlights of the study

• The study found that the two existing wild populations of this rhino on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra boast unexpectedly good genetic health and surprisingly low levels of inbreeding.
• Only about 80 of the rhinos remain after a separate population on the Malaysian Peninsula went extinct in recent years.
• The Sumatran rhinoceros — the closest living relative to the woolly rhinoceros that was among the notable species of the last Ice Age — is known for its two small horns and a thin coat of reddish-brown hair.
• With such small population sizes, much higher inbreeding can be expected in extant populations of Sumatran rhinoceros.