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25 Years of Firsts for Sumatran Rhino Andalas
Twenty-five years ago today, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden made conservation history when Andalas became the first Sumatran rhino calf born in any zoo in the world in 112 years. The momentous birth of Andalas came in the shadow of 9/11 and for 25 years he has been quietly achieving milestones that just may save his critically endangered species.
Andalas’ parents, Emi and Ipuh, were part of an international breeding program that began in 1984 and included a handful of American zoos. By 1995, the program hadn’t produced any calves, and Emi and Ipuh were the only remaining potential breeding pair in the United States. After years of failed attempts and miscarriages, scientists at Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), led by CREW director Dr. Terri Roth, unraveled the mysteries of Sumatran rhino reproduction and, on September 13, 2001, Andalas was born! Suci, a female, was born in 2004, and Harapan, another male, arrived in 2007.
With so few Sumatran rhinos left in the world, estimated now to be fewer than 50 individuals, the decision was made to concentrate all breeding efforts in one location, the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) built by the International Rhino Foundation in Way Kambas National Park on the island of Sumatra. However, the only male rhino at the SRS was infertile. Thus, Andalas moved there in 2007 from the LA Zoo, and his little brother Harapan, the last Sumatran rhino in the Western Hemisphere, made the 53-hour journey from the Cincinnati Zoo in 2015.
Fast forward, in 2012 Andalas became the first rhino to sire a calf in the Southeast Asia breeding program. He sired another in 2016 and another in 2023 (one male and two females). His elder two have now produced calves themselves, making him the first grandfather at SRS, and brother Harapan sired his first born on November 25, 2023.
Cincinnati Zoo’s CREW has remained involved in the SRS breeding program, and Dr. Roth returned with renewed hope for the population after a visit last month. “Seeing them in person, I can attest to the rhinos’ excellent condition and the wonderful care they receive from their very attentive, Indonesian caretakers,” said Dr. Roth. “I am also impressed by the dedication and competency of the veterinary team here who have adopted the CREW breeding template and carry it out daily with absolute commitment and ever-growing expertise.
An ultrasound unit we donated years ago is still being used regularly and is proof that our contributions to the SRS program have been appreciated and put to good use, and with excellent results: three calves sired by Andalas, one calf sired by Harapan, and one more sired by Andalas’s first son, making Andalas a proud grandad!”
The 10 rhinos currently maintained in the breeding sanctuary represent 10-20% of the Sumatran rhinos left in the world. They are the hope of the species’ future – a future that is brighter because of Andalas, Harapan and CREW’s groundbreaking discoveries that changed the trajectory of the Sumatran rhino breeding effort.
Today we celebrate Andalas’ 25th birthday. He has given us joy and his species a lifeline.
