Another rare Sumatran rhinoceros, one of only two left at Malaysia's breeding centre, has fallen ill and is believed to have a bacterial infection suspected of killing three others there in the last two weeks, a report said today.

The Star

daily said veterinarians were keeping a close watch on the female rhino, which remained sick despite being fed antibiotics and supplements.

Three other rhinos, a male and two females, have died mysteriously at the Sungai Dusun Sumatran Rhinoceros Conservation Centre in Selangor, forcing a halt to a breeding programme for the near extinct species.

The deaths bring the total to five in the last two years at the government-run centre, leaving only the two females.

Post-mortems have shown that the latest deaths were from septicaemia, acute blood poisoning caused by bacteria, reports said.

Exchange programme

Science, Technology and Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding has expressed concern over the deaths and said the ministry hopes to revive the breeding project through a rhino exchange programme with neighbouring Indonesia.

"We're trying to get a male rhino from Indonesia in exchange for one of our females," he was quoted as saying by New Straits Times .

"Hopefully, this will help ... continue the breeding programme. The deaths are a setback but we should not be discouraged."

Worldwide Fund for Nature national program director Dino Sharma was quoted as saying that conditions at the centre should be examined before the breeding project was reinitiated to prevent more deaths.

Only 300 of the animals are left worldwide, mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia, as poaching and the destruction of habitats take their toll and captive breeding has shown few signs of success. - AFP