Genetic study offers good news for endangered Sumatran rhinoceros

A genome study involving the last remaining populations of the Sumatran rhinoceros - a solitary rainforest dweller - is providing what scientists called good news about the prospects of saving this critically endangered species from extinction.

The researchers said on Monday that their study found that the two existing wild populations of this rhino on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra boast unexpectedly good genetic health and surprisingly low levels of inbreeding. Experts estimate that only about 80 of the rhinos remain after a separate population on the Malaysian Peninsula went extinct in recent years. The Sumatran rhinoceros - the closest living relative to the woolly rhinoceros that was among the notable species of the last Ice Age - is known for its two small horns and a thin coat of reddish-brown hair.