Sumatran rhinoceros born in captivity to be moved from LA zoo to Indonesia

Andalas, the first Sumatran rhinoceros born in captivity in more than a century, will be moved from the Los Angeles Zoo to Indonesia this week to take part in a breeding program for the critically endangered mammals, officials said.

Photo: Sumatran rhinoceros born in captivity to be moved from LA zoo to Indonesia

He will mate with two female rhinoceros at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in the Way Kambas National Park on the island of Sumatra, the zoo said Wednesday.

"Andalas' journey to Indonesia is vital to the future of Sumatran rhinos," said John Lewis, the zoo's director.

Andalas made a splash in September 2001 when he was born at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, becoming the first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in 112 years.

Andalas' mother Emi, who had numerous miscarriages before delivering him, gave birth to a female calf in 2004. In June, Cincinnati Zoo officials announced that Emi was pregnant again, the AP says.

With fewer than 300 Sumatran rhinos known to exist in the wild, they are the most endangered of the five rhino species and among the most endangered mammals in the world.

An estimated 70 percent of the Sumatran rhino population has been lost since 1985, mainly to poaching and loss of its tropical habitat in Malaysia and Indonesia.