Trek to help save rare rhinos

Poly students travel to remote reserve in eastern Sabah to help in worldwide effort

BY JAMES HODSON

SOME Temasek Polytechnic students travelled to Sabah in Malaysia recently to help in the worldwide efforts to save the endangered Sumatran rhino.

Experts believe that there are as few as 20 of these rhinos left in the lush tropical rainforests of Sabah, home of these animals.

Worldwide, this species of rhinos has dwindled to fewer than 300. If nothing is done to help them, they might become extinct within the next 10 years.

To help these rhinos, Temasek Polytechnic organised a reYouth Expedition Project recently with support from the Singapore International Foundation and SOS Rhino, a non-profit foundation based in the United States that provides funds and technical assistance for research, education and raising public awareness about these animals.

About 30 students travelled to the foundation's conservation project in the remote Tabin Wildlife Reserve in eastern Sabah. Their task was to assist in a rhino survey to gain a better understanding of the Sumatran rhino and study its habits.

Over three weeks, starting from mid-November, they learnt how to recognise and track rhino footprints, identify leaves eaten by them, help determine any food shortages, as well as collect and analyse rhino faeces.

Cameras were also set up to capture pictures of these elusive animals. The students also helped repair the SOS Rhino quarters in the campsite.

Later, while travelling to Sepilok, home to the world-famous orang utan rehabilitation centre, the students visited the two rhinos that make up a captive breeding project sponsored by SOS Rhino.

Rhinos reach sexual maturity at between six and eight years old and females produce a calf every four to six years, after a gestation period of about 17 months.

Currently, there are 16 animals in captivity worldwide, including the two in Sabah.

The final leg of the trip saw the students planting 50 trees to help increase the public's awareness of the environment.

Before embarking on the trip, the students went through a vigorous physical-training programme that involved trekking, climbing and jogging.

Miss Susan Luah, 18, a design student, said the stay in the jungle itself was a new experience - lots of mud, insects and intense heat.

She said: 'We itched and scratched a lot. Some of us had infections. To be in such a state would be seen as being miserable and foolish to outsiders, but to us it was all a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the wild, away from urban Singapore, our comfort zone since birth.'

There will be a follow-up trip next year.

Temasek Polytechnic's student-development officer Kyle Lim said: 'I am very pleased with the students' contribution towards the conservation work to preserve the elusive Sumatran rhino. We spent three intensive weeks roughing it out and surviving.'