Officials hope to breed Bornean rhinos with Sumatran rhinos to preserve their dwindling genetic heritage.
Indonesia's government is racing to capture the last-known Bornean rhino in the wild in a bid to preserve the species through in vitro fertilization, a government official told AFP on Friday.
Just two Bornean rhinos are known to exist in the world, both female: Pahu in Indonesia's Kelian rhino sanctuary, and Pari, living wild in Kutai Kartanegara regency.
Bornean rhinos are a subspecies of Sumatran rhinos, and officials believe they are close enough to interbreed and preserve some genetic heritage from the Bornean line.
Conservationists previously tried to extract eggs from Pahu for the process.
