This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Small, hairy and cheekily charismatic. Those words sprang to mind when I first met a Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) after traversing the maze of wooden slat paths at the conservation center in the dense, humid forests of Malaysian Borneo.
It was 1998 and I was an eager student volunteer at the center. At that time, 300 Sumatran rhinos were thought to exist globally. I saw this female rhino as a symbol of conservation hope.
But today, according to the International Rhino Foundation's 2026 State of the Rhino report, fewer than 50 Sumatran rhinos remain. All are found in Indonesia. The Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is just as rare.
While these figures rely on estimates, the trajectory is alarming. So what is driving this decline? And how can we protect the few Sumatran and Javan rhinos that are left?
In modern culture, rhinos represent strength, power and security. We use them as sports mascots and feature them in everything from car logos to safety equipment brands. Their ubiquity in popular culture may lead us to underestimate the urgency of their plight.
Species used as marketing emblems are often considered more common than they truly are. There are five surviving species of rhinos. I have had the privilege of getting to know all but one while working as a wildlife veterinarian in zoos, sanctuaries and the wild.
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