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The first physical contact with a Sumatran rhino, a species thought to be extinct in Borneo, was recorded recently, marking a major milestone for rhino conservation in Indonesia.

The female rhino, thought to 4 to 5 years old, was safely captured by conservationists.

“This is an exciting discovery and a major conservation success,” Dr. Pak Efransjah, CEO of World Wildlife Federation-Indonesia, said in a press release. “We now have proof that a species once thought extinct in Kalimantan still roams the forests, and we will now strengthen our efforts to protect this extraordinary species.”

A WWF survey team found the first evidence of the species’ remaining existence in 2013 after identifying footprints and capturing images of the rhino on a camera in the same forest.

Since the first images emerged, 15 Sumatran rhinos have been recognized in Kutai Barat, a providence in East Kalimantan.

Facing serious threats from poaching and habitat loss from mining, plantations and logging, less than 100 Sumatran rhinos are thought to be left in the wild. Most of the population exists on the island of Sumatra.

The species was recently declared extinct in the wild in Malaysia, according to the International Rhino Foundation.

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This is a race against time for rhino conservation. Providing a safe home is the only hope for the survival of the Sumatran rhino for many generations to come,” Enfransjah said. “WWF will work continuously with the Sumatran rhino conservation team for the protection of the Sumatran rhino population in Kalimantan.”

The captured rhino will be transported to a protected forest about 100 miles from the capture site. Conservationists hope the new home will serve as the second Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia.

In November 2015, the only known male Sumatran rhino in the western hemisphere was transported from the Cincinnati Zoo in efforts to assist the remaining population to breed, the zoo announced in a prior press release.

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