KOTA KINABALU: It is believed that only 30 Sumatran rhinos remain in the wilds of Sabah. But if Dr Nan Schaffer has her way, that alarmingly small number will soon increase.

Being a rhinoceros reproduction expert who has dedicated 10 years of her life to preserving the highly-endangered animal, Dr Schaffer is also president of SOS Rhinos, a non-profit US-based organisation, which plays a crucial role in highlighting the plight of rhinos worldwide.

In Sabah, SOS Rhinos has made a huge impact in raising awareness of the precarious situation of Sumatran rhinos.

Thanks to a study it conducted, the state government was convinced to conserve a portion of land along the east coast for the animal.

A key victory in SOS Rhinos' struggle came in the form of the state government citing their study, to reject a proposal by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd to develop a coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu.
The decision proved to be unpopular, but it was regarded as necessary to realise the goal of the state's eco-tourism development plan under the Sabah Development Corridor.

"We had to balance the needs of the people for electricity and the survival of our rhinos, which now number less than 30 in the wild.

"We chose to save the animal as power plants can be built in other places," said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

SOS Rhinos' efforts to save the Sumatran rhinos have been duly acknowledged.

The state government held a special appreciation ceremony for Dr Schaffer and her organisation at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, near here.

The event also marked the handing over of duties from SOS Rhinos to a local non-governmental organisation, SOS Rhinos Borneo.

"I will leave with an assurance that the rhinos will be in good hands under the new SOS Rhinos Borneo, which will be spearheaded by WWF senior technical advisor of the Borneo programme, Dr Junaidi Payne.

SOS Rhinos' landmark study, which was conducted in collaboration with the State Wildlife Department and the World Wildlife Fund, revealed that over the years, the handful of remaining rhinos in Sabah had been displaced into disparate pockets of jungles in the east coast.

"The biggest concentration of rhinos is found at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve," said Wildife Department director Laurentius Ambu.

"One of the key findings was that the rhinos could not reproduce, probably due to their displacement," he said.

He added that the state government and several NGOs are now planning to bring in rhinos to Tabin to mate.

But there is still hope.

Since SOS Rhinos first undertook efforts to preserve the animal, one offspring was produced in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2001.