# Sumatran Rhino — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Dicerorhinus sumatrensis*

> A Sumatran rhino is the smallest, hairiest living rhinoceros — a two-horned, rainforest-dwelling species of Indonesia and the only surviving member of the genus Dicerorhinus, now Critically Endangered with fewer than roughly 50 individuals left.

**IUCN status:** Critically Endangered — fewer than ~50 left  ·  **WARN range:** Indonesia

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Lifespan | ~35–40 years (up to ~45) |
| Weight | 500–1,000 kg (avg ~700–800 kg) |
| Shoulder height | 112–145 cm |
| Body length | 2.4–3.2 m head-and-body |
| Diet | Browser — leaves, twigs, fruit, bark (100+ plant species) |
| Gestation | 15–16 months |
| Young per birth | 1 calf, every 3–4 years |
| Baby name | Calf |
| Group name | Crash (rhinos are largely solitary) |
| CITES | Appendix I |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Perissodactyla
- **Family:** Rhinocerotidae
- **Genus:** Dicerorhinus
- **Species:** Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Fischer, 1814)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Critically Endangered
- **Population:** ~34–47 individuals in the wild (fewer than ~50)
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2020
- **CITES:** Appendix I
- Listed Critically Endangered by the IUCN (assessment published 2020). Field estimates cited around 34–47 animals; numbers are uncertain because the rhinos are so few and so dispersed across fragmented forest in Indonesia.

## Key facts: Sumatran Rhino
- It is the smallest living rhino and the only Asian rhino with two horns, weighing roughly 500–1,000 kg.
- Its reddish-brown body is patchily covered in coarse hair — unusual among rhinos — earning it the nickname 'hairy rhino'.
- It is the closest living relative of the extinct woolly rhinoceros and the sole survivor of the genus Dicerorhinus.
- Fewer than about 50 survive, in fragmented forest pockets of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia.
- Habitat loss and the isolation of tiny scattered groups — which struggle to find mates — are now the biggest threats, alongside a poaching legacy.
- A captive-breeding programme in Indonesia is central to the species' survival, having produced rare successful births.

## Why the Sumatran rhino is so endangered
The Sumatran rhino has crashed by more than 80% over recent decades, driven first by relentless poaching for its horns and then by the loss and fragmentation of its lowland rainforest. The animals that remain are scattered across a handful of isolated pockets in Indonesia, separated by plantations, roads and human settlement. Because the species is solitary and naturally low in density, these tiny groups rarely encounter one another, so breeding has all but stalled in the wild. Females that go too long without mating can develop reproductive problems, compounding the decline. With perhaps only a few dozen animals left, the IUCN warns the species could vanish without urgent intervention.

## Behaviour and ecology
This is a forest specialist — a shy, mostly solitary browser that feeds on saplings, leaves, twigs, fruit and bark from more than a hundred plant species, eating tens of kilograms a day. It frequents mineral licks and wallows in mud to cool down and protect its skin, and is a capable swimmer and climber of steep terrain. Sumatran rhinos communicate over distance with whistles, squeaks and other vocalisations, more vocal than their larger relatives. Two horns, fringed ears and that distinctive coat of coarse hair make it unmistakable among rhinos and link it visually to its Ice Age ancestors.

## What rescue and recovery involve
Saving the Sumatran rhino now hinges on a two-pronged effort: protecting and monitoring the last wild animals, and bringing isolated individuals into a managed captive-breeding programme so that they can reproduce safely under expert care. In Indonesia, sanctuary teams track wild rhinos, run anti-poaching patrols, secure forest habitat, and provide round-the-clock veterinary support to breeding animals. Each successful birth is hard-won and significant given how few animals exist. This work depends on trained local rangers, veterinarians and sanctuary staff operating in remote, difficult forest — and on the sustained funding that keeps them in the field.

## Sumatran rhino vs the other rhino species
| Feature | Sumatran rhino | Javan rhino | White rhino |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Horns | Two | One | Two |
| Size | Smallest rhino | Medium | Largest rhino |
| Hair | Distinctly hairy | Nearly hairless | Nearly hairless |
| Range | Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo) | Indonesia (Java) | Africa |
| IUCN status | Critically Endangered | Critically Endangered | Near Threatened |

## What WARN does
Indonesia is one of WARN's five focus countries, so the Sumatran rhino sits squarely within our funded model: as a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation, WARN channels support to local partner shelters, sanctuaries and rescue teams on the ground rather than running operations ourselves. For a species this rare, that means backing the Indonesian rangers, veterinarians and sanctuary staff who protect the last wild rhinos and care for the captive-breeding animals — while WARN also raises wider public awareness of the species' plight. We are honest about our stage: our role is to help fund frontline partners and amplify their work, not to claim credit for the science and fieldwork they deliver.

With fewer than about 50 Sumatran rhinos left, every ranger patrol and veterinary shift in Indonesia counts. Supporting the Rhino Appeal helps WARN fund the local partner teams in Indonesia who protect and breed the last of this ancient species.

## Frequently asked questions: Sumatran Rhino
### How many Sumatran rhinos are left?
Fewer than about 50. The most recent IUCN-cited field estimate puts the wild population at roughly 34–47 individuals, scattered across fragmented forests in Indonesia, making it one of the rarest large mammals on Earth.

### How big is a Sumatran rhino?
It is the smallest living rhino, standing about 112–145 cm at the shoulder, measuring roughly 2.4–3.2 m in head-and-body length, and weighing around 500–1,000 kg (most fall near 700–800 kg).

### What do Sumatran rhinos eat?
They are browsers, feeding on saplings, leaves, twigs, shoots, fruit and bark from more than 100 plant species, and can eat tens of kilograms of vegetation a day. They also visit mineral licks.

### How long do Sumatran rhinos live?
They live roughly 35–40 years, with some sources citing up to about 45 years. Females typically produce a single calf every three to four years after a 15–16 month gestation.

### Are Sumatran rhinos dangerous?
No — they are shy, solitary and elusive, and avoid people whenever possible. They are far more threatened by humans than the other way around, and pose little danger when left undisturbed in their forest habitat.

### Why is the Sumatran rhino so special?
It is the smallest and hairiest rhino, the only two-horned Asian rhino, and the last surviving member of the genus Dicerorhinus — the closest living relative of the extinct woolly rhinoceros, making it a living link to the Ice Age.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Sumatran Rhinoceros)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6553/18493355)
- [International Rhino Foundation — Sumatran Rhino](https://rhinos.org/about-rhinos/rhino-species/sumatran-rhino/)
- [IUCN — Last chance for the Sumatran rhino](https://iucn.org/content/last-chance-sumatran-rhino)
- [CITES — Appendices (Rhinocerotidae spp.)](https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php)
- [Smithsonian's National Zoo — Rhinoceros](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/rhinoceros)
- [WWF — Sumatran Rhino](https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sumatran-rhino)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/sumatran-rhino