World’s rarest rabbit captured on film in Indonesian rainforest
Photos of world’s rarest Easter bunny found in Sumatra
World’s rarest rabbit captured on film in Indonesian rainforest
mongabay.com
April 4, 2007
Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society working in the rainforests of Sumatra have captured the world’s rarest rabbit on film using remote camera traps.
  Wildlife Conservation Society photos of the extremely rare Sumatran striped rabbit. |
The Sumatran striped rabbit, which measures a little over a foot in length, was spotted in Bukit Barisan National Park. The rabbit is so rare that this is only the third one ever recorded on film.
“This rabbit is so poorly known that any proof of its continued existence at all is great news and confirms the conservation importance of Sumatra’s forests,” said Colin Poole, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Asia Program.
The rabbit is only known to exist in the forests along the mountainous spine of Sumatra. It is currently listed as Critically Endangered’ by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The Sumatran striped rabbit’s closest relative, the elusive Annamite striped rabbit, is found in the Annamite Mountains that form the border between Laos and Vietnam.
In recent years the forests of Sumatra have become increasingly threatened by logging, clearing for agriculture, and forest fires. WCS is working to protect the last remaining wilderness areas on the island.
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This article is based on a news release from WCS