LAMPUNG: A Sumatran rhinoceros born in Indonesia has given renewed hope to environmentalists looking to save the critically endangered species.

Ratu, whose name means “Queen” in Indonesian, gave birth to the female calf on Thursday, at a rhino sanctuary in the Way Kambas National Park on the island of Sumatra.

The newborn, who has not yet been named, weighed about 20 kg (45 pounds), and within hours was walking around and nursing from her exhausted mother.

The new arrival for 15-year-old Ratu, and her mate Andalas, follows the couple’s first baby Andatu, who made history in 2012 as the first rhino born in captivity in Indonesia in more than a century.

There are estimated to be fewer than 100 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild, says Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry and Environment, and they face extinction because of the loss of their habitat and poaching for their horns.

“We need to have a strong commitment, not only in Indonesia, but around the world, to protecting and making sure these species stay alive,” said ministry representative Novrizal Kahar.

-REUTERS