Reuters AlertNet Lite - Rare striped rabbit spotted in Indonesia rainforest

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

Rare striped rabbit spotted in Indonesia rainforest

05 Apr 2007 11:12:25 GMT
Source: Reuters

JAKARTA, April 5 (Reuters) - One of the world's rarest rabbits has been captured on camera in Indonesia's rainforests for only the third time ever, a leading conservation group said on Thursday.

The Sumatran striped rabbit -- a little over a foot long and chalk coloured with dark brown stripes -- is critically endangered and was last photographed in the Bukit Barisan Park in 2000, the World Conservation Society (WCF) said in a statement.

A programme manager at WCF's Indonesian office, Nick Brickle, said the rabbit was photographed in a forest in south Sumatra at the end of January.

"It is a nocturnal animal. Other than that, we do not know more about it," Brickle told Reuters, describing it as about 30 cm (12 inches) long and similar in size to a small cat.

"They live in forests, up in the mountains. What you need to protect the rabbit is protect the forest."

The WCF statement said the rabbit was only known to exist in the mountains of Sumatra and was thought to be the only representative of its genus.

In 1999 researchers discovered another striped rabbit in the Annamite Mountains straddling Laos and Vietnam, but although both seem similar in appearance genetic samples revealed that the two were separate species.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Indonesia profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• Beware of hidden strings on EU's offer on trade
Christian Aid - UK

• Australians see little improvement for children in developing countries
ChildFund Australia

• A GLOOMY SATURDAY IN JAVA
Muslim Aid - UK

• CWS Appeal: Jakarta flood response
CWS

• ACT Appeal: Jakarta Floods, Indonesia
ACT - Switzerland

MORE >>

Latest news

• Rare striped rabbit spotted in Indonesia rainforest

• INTERVIEW-Gusmao blames Fretilin for Timor campaign violence

• Indonesia, Egypt to develop bird flu vaccine

• Protective masks often not worn properly - study

• Violence hits Timor campaign as candidate urges unity

MORE >>

Last updated:Thu Apr 5 11:15:05 2007