The mood is dark for Malaysian animal lovers as we are now getting closer to losing Malaysia's last Sumatran rhinoceros, Iman. We are deeply saddened by this news and would like to share with you the latest reports on this dear creature.

Source: Borneo Post

As per a report by The New Straits Times, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew mentions that the prognosis of the cancer-stricken Iman is terrible and is continuing to deteriorate.

Source: The Star

The female rhino has lived for 25-years already but was discovered to have a tumour in her body when she was found in March of 2014, accoridng to reports, it has spread to her urinary bladder.

Accoridng to a quote by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew given to The New Straits Times, "The vets said there is no way to halt the growth of these tumours, and surgery to remove them always was and still is too dangerous there would be inevitable major blood loss that would result in her quick demise".

Source: The New Straits Times

Prior to these grim moments, efforts to continue the species had been made, with an egg cell that was retrieved from Iman to be fertilised by sperms belonging to Sabah's last male rhino Tam, a rhino that has unfortunately passed away recently, in May of this year.

Unfortunately, the attempt failed as the sperms are of poor quality.
 

In light of the dark news of Iman's upcoming passing, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew was reported by The New Straits Times to have mentioned that the state government would work on the legality process with Indonesian counterparts for the in-vitro fertilisation attempt, the attempt would involve acquiring another egg that would be harvested from Iman to be fertilised with the sperm from an Indonesian rhino.

If there's any chance that Iman can survive, we hope she will. If not, we hope she meets a peaceful passing from this world as we mourn the loss of such a beautiful creature.