Iman’s condition likely to deteriorate
KOTA KINABALU: The nation’s last female Sumatran rhino, Iman, has started eating but her condition will likely deteriorate if she does not consume larger volumes of foliage.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said Iman ate 200g of leaves yesterday morning and consumed another 1.5kg of leaves in the evening.
“Last night, she was lying down from 11pm until 6am. This morning, we fed her 200g of leaves and she also drank water.
“She walked and stood in the night stall and occasionally laid down to rest.
“This evening, Iman ate 1.5kg of leaves and drank more water. Her prognosis is grave and she will get weaker if she doesn’t start eating more,” he said, adding that a team of veterinarians was assessing her on a daily basis.
Tuuga said the team had given Iman antibiotics, painkiller, vitamin K, ranitidine and diazepam.
“There is still bleeding (from the uterus) but not as bad as yesterday (Wednesday). We hope she will be better tomorrow (today),” he said.
Iman was diagnosed with a tumour in her uterus last week. Since then, she had camped out in her wallow at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu, hampering any efforts to give her medical aid.
On Dec 18, Borneo Rhino Alliance veterinarians managed to coax her out.
Iman is the last wild rhino found in Malaysia. She was captured in the Danum Valley and transported to the wildlife reserve in March 2014.