(MENAFN) In a significant development for conservation efforts, a critically endangered Sumatran elephant was born over the weekend in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung province, southern Sumatra, Indonesia. Weighing approximately 108 kilograms (238 pounds), the yet-to-be-named male calf brings renewed hope to conservationists, especially following recent births of baby elephants and a Sumatran rhino in the region. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry announced the birth, highlighting the calf's good health and the ongoing monitoring of its mother, Riska, who gave birth on Saturday.
The successful addition to the elephant herd at Way Kambas follows the birth of a Sumatran rhino in September and another baby elephant in a different national park in Sumatra during the same month. Conservation officials, including Satyawan Pudyatmoko, expressed optimism about these births indicating the positive outcomes of conservation efforts for protected species in the national parks.
Sumatran elephants face the imminent threat of extinction, with only approximately 2,400-2,800 left in the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The population is jeopardized by rampant poaching for their tusks, highly sought after in the illegal wildlife trade. Indonesia grapples with persistent wildlife crime, with reported cases of elephant poisoning and ongoing challenges due to deforestation, which reduces the natural habitat of these critically endangered elephants and increases human-wildlife conflict. The birth of the Sumatran elephant calf is seen as a hopeful sign for the ongoing struggle to conserve these majestic creatures.
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