WWF said that the motion-triggered camera trap was part of conservation efforts aimed at boosting the number of Sumatran rhinos through studying their needs, preventing poaching and conserving habitat.
"This is an encouraging sign for the future of rhinoceros conservation work in Sabah," said Mahedi Andau, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department.
"While the total number of Borneo rhinos remaining is uncertain, we do know there are very, very few. To capture a photo of one just a few months after placing camera traps in the area is extraordinary," he said.
WWF said that a handful of rhinos are thought to survive in Sabah in addition to the 13, scattered across the state but isolated from each other. Sabah and Sarawak make up Malaysia's half of Borneo which is divided with Indonesia.
Apart from the Sabah population, there have been no confirmed reports of the species on Borneo for almost 20 years, leading experts to fear that rhinos may now be extinct on the rest of the island.
"These are very shy animals that are almost never seen alive in the wild," said Raymond Alfred from WWF-Malaysia.
The photo showed that the rhino was a mature and healthy animal which had access to plentiful, good-quality forage in the forest, he said.
"We hope to take more photos over the coming months of other rhinos so we can piece together clues about this tiny, precarious population," he said.
Borneo's rhinos are considered to be a subspecies of the Sumatran rhinoceros, different to those found in Indonesia's Sumatra island and Peninsular Malaysia.
The Sumatran rhinoceros is one of the world's most critically endangered species, and its existence is threatened by poaching and loss of forest habitat.
Name: Sumatran Rhinoceros (
Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
Primary Classification: Rhinocerotidae (Rhinoceroses)
Location: Mainly Sumatra and Borneo
Habitat: Dense forests, montane moss forests, hilly areas, forest margins and coastal swamps
Diet: Young saplings, bamboo, leaves, fruits, twigs, bark and plants in secondary growth
Size: Up to 9.5 ft in length and 2,000 lbs in weight
Description: Reddish-brown in color; thick, leathery skin covered in long hair; two deep skin folds encircling body; thick and short in stature; long front horn; short secondary horn
Cool Facts: It marks its territory by breaking saplings, spraying urine on vegetation and depositing feces in scrapes — bare patches that it makes with a movement of the hind feet.
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat(s): Poaching and habitat loss
What Can I Do?: Visit
SOS Rhino and
The International Rhino Foundation for information on how you can help.
