Sumatra rhino pregnancies nurse hope for endangered species' future

Two critically endangered Sumatran rhinos have fallen pregnant at an Indonesian sanctuary, boosting hopes for the survival of one of the world's rarest and most threatened mammals, the government said on Sunday.

Ratu, a female Sumatran rhino at the Way Kambas National Park on Sumatra island, has been pregnant with her fourth calf for 238 days -- nearly half the gestation period.

Ratu means "queen" in Indonesian.

Ratu's daughter, Delilah, is more than 250 days into a pregnancy with her second calf, and both should give birth in May next year.

"The pregnancies of these two Sumatran rhinos are not only good news for Indonesia, but also for the world," Indonesian forestry ministry official Ahmad Munawir said in a statement.

"The pregnancies of the two female rhinos are part of long-term efforts to ensure the survival of the Sumatran rhino population through planned breeding, reproductive health management, and intensive monitoring of individual animals," he added.

The ministry said the health and safety of the females were being closely monitored by a medical team, keepers, and national parks management.

"All five species of rhino face serious threats... This announcement marks a significant milestone in the fight to save this imperilled species," Nina Fascione, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation, said in a separate statement.

"Ratu and Delilah's pregnancies represent two more individuals that can help bring Sumatran rhinos back from the brink of extinction."

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies Sumatran rhinos as critically endangered, with fewer than 80 individuals remaining in the wild.

The species is found only in Indonesia, scattered across national park areas in North Sumatra, Lampung, Bengkulu, and East Kalimantan.