One rhino holds future of species

Tam, a 20 year old Borneo Sumatran rhinoceros may be the last hope for the nearly extinct species.  Found last August wandering in a palm plantation with an infected leg injury, rescuers transported him to Malaysia's Sabah state reserve and have since rehabilitated him.

Tam is the first rhino set to participate in a breeding initiative that will hopefully replenish the endangered breed. Experts estimate that only 10-30 rhinos of this variety remain in the wild. They hope to transport some of the few remaining to the reserve, away from the grip of poachers.

In addition to poaching, rhinos have faced a loss of habitat due to logging and development. With so few, and so spread out,  chances of reproduction have been limited. It is the hope that the reserve will provide a safe place where the rhinos will seek each other out and reproduce naturally, without human interaction.

The rhino is in dire straits, and may be completely extinct within ten years if something isn't done to promote offspring.