Sumatran rhinoceros - Threats

Taken to pieces

Hunting for its horn and other body parts, for use in traditional medicines, has traditionally depleted populations of Sumatran rhino throughout its range.

However, habitat loss has now combined with combined with poaching to threaten the survival of the few remaining small populations.

Habitat loss and degradation
Habitat loss due to forest conversion and subsequent disturbance is threatening to push the Sumatran rhino towards extinction. Most populations are very small and in fact may not be viable, and changes in land-use destroy dispersion corridors. Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia - which is now estimated to have the largest single population of Sumatran rhinos - is still losing forest cover due to conversion of forest for coffee and rice by illegal settlers.

Sumatran rhinos are known to use logged areas where there is an abundance of regenerating plants. However, the construction of logging roads makes areas more accessible to poachers. While it is desirable to retain large tracts of undisturbed habitat for rhino conservation, it may not be possible to stop logging in all places (e.g. forest concessions in Sabah).

Thus WWF would like to see such logging taking place in a controlled and sustainable manner with road access allowed only for authorized people.

The 1997 and 1998 fires in Indonesia, started mainly by commercial companies in plantations, spread to protected areas where both orang-utans and Sumatran rhinos occur. Reports indicate illegal wildlife traders attempted to take advantage of the tragic situation.
Find out more about habitat loss and degradation

Illegal trade
The 1970s saw increased demand for horn from prosperous Asian communities. Horn is used for the treatment of a variety of ailments ranging from epilepsy, fevers and strokes to AIDS. Although hunting is now illegal, poaching continues.

Even though the use of rhino horn in traditional medicine is banned in most countries, investigations by TRAFFIC and WWF reveal that use of rhino horn in traditional medicine still persists in many countries.

While steps are being taken to work with the traditional Chinese medicine community to phase out the use of rhino horns from their work, lack of adequate protection and weak law enforcement in many rhino habitats is leading to loss of rhinos at unacceptable rates.
Find out more about wildlife trade

Genetic loss
No single Sumatran rhino population is estimated to have more than 75 individuals, making them extremely vulnerable to extinction due to natural catastrophes, diseases, poaching, political disturbances, and genetic drift. The biology of the Sumatran rhino is poorly understood and techniques for estimating their numbers are not fully developed.