This was the year of the Sumatran rhinoceros at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

        Not coincidentally, “It was probably the most stressful year of my life,” says Terri Roth, director of the zoo's Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW). “But it was worth it.”

Roth

        Dr. Roth, profiled in the Enquirer in August, solved the mystery of Sumatran rhino reproduction. The first such animal bred and born in captivity since 1889 — a male calf named Andalas — was born at the zoo Sept. 13.

        “He's doing really well,” Dr. Roth says. The calf, 72.6 pounds at birth, now weighs well over 300.

        Rhino experts hailed the birth as a pivotal event that greatly improves the odds of survival for a species on the brink of extinction. Fewer than 300 Sumatran rhinos remain, mostly in Indonesia and Malaysia.

        Andalas' mother is Emi, and the father is Ipuh. Emi's previous five pregnancies ended in miscarriages. “She's been a perfect mother for a first-time mother,” Dr. Roth says.

        The focus now is on documenting Andalas' development, as well as how mother and calf interact. “That information will be useful when additional animals are born, to make sure they're nursing correctly and interacting appropriately. If something starts to go wrong, we can catch it,” Dr. Roth says.

        But as of now, captive-breeding programs in Malaysia and Indonesia have reported no Sumatran rhino pregnancies. Dr. Roth says she'll probably visit that part of the world in early March.

        “We've got to figure out if these animals are getting pregnant and losing the pregnancies early, or if they're just not getting pregnant. And if not, why not?”

        As for Emi, the plan is to breed her again — mostly likely with Ipuh — as soon as it's safe to do so, probably next summer. Emi and Ipuh are the only breeding pair in the United States.

        Andalas also will be part of the breeding program someday. But such rhinos don't mature until they're 4 to 6 years old. It's possible a female will be brought to Cincinnati to breed with him, but more likely he'll be sent to captive-breeding programs in Indonesia or Malaysia, Dr. Roth says.

        The animals belong to Indonesia, which lent them to the United States for its breeding program.

        On warm days in the fall, Andalas was allowed to roam outside his barn. His existence is much more carefree than Dr. Roth's.

        A few weeks after the calf's birth, she added another title: the zoo's vice president of animal sciences. In addition to continuing as CREW director, she now oversees the entire animal collection and the animal health department.

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