IPB University Expert: ART and Biobank Are the Last Hope for Indonesian Rhinos
Behind the silence of Indonesia’s tropical forests, the sounds of Javan and Sumatran rhinos are becoming increasingly rare. A dwindling population, limited genetic diversity, and the threat of extinction have prompted IPB University, through its School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science (SKHB), to develop assisted reproductive technology (ART) and a biobank.
This effort is led by IPB University ART expert Dr Muhammad Agil, who has dedicated his life to ensuring that the ‘voice’ of rhinos is not lost forever.
He said that the current condition of Sumatran rhinos is critical because more than 70 percent of the population rescued in 1980-1990 suffer from reproductive organ disorders.
“The reality is that many of our female rhinos have tumors in their reproductive organs, making it difficult for them to reproduce,” he said during the Cooperation Agreement and Groundbreaking Ceremony for the ART Center Laboratory and Biobank with the Ministry of Forestry at the IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor (9/2).
The Javan rhinoceros faces a different problem. Although its population is relatively stable, its genetic diversity is very low. A team of researchers from IPB University found that the Javan rhinoceros has only two genetic haplotypes.
“Without intervention, Javan rhinos are threatened with extinction within the next 50 years,” he said.
To address this threat, the government issued an emergency conservation action in 2018, incorporating ART and biobanking technologies into the national strategy for saving endangered species.
Furthermore, Dr Agil cited the stories of the northern white rhino in Kenya and the black-footed ferret in the United States. Through embryo transfer, artificial insemination, and cloning technologies, researchers have succeeded in preserving species that were previously declared extinct in the wild.
“We want that success to happen for the Javan and Sumatran rhinos,” he said.
The IPB University team is currently collecting sperm, eggs, and skin cells from Sumatran rhinos to develop them into stem cells and artificial gametes.
IPB University is also collaborating with Osaka University and several museums in Europe to access Indonesian rhino genetic material stored in the form of a frozen zoo.
“Besides Berlin, there are also in Copenhagen, Brussels, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Adelaide. They store Javan and Sumatran rhino material,” said Dr Agil.
The ART and Biobank Center to be established at IPB University is being set up as a technology-based wildlife conservation center.
“We hope for full support from the government and international partners so that research and technological development can be conducted domestically,” said Dr Agil. (dr) (IAAS/NRA)
