Endangered rabbit found in park

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: After more than five decades, Bukit Barisan National Park has reported a sighting of the endangered Sumatra jungle rabbit (nesolagus netscherii).

The park's chief, Susilo Legowo, told Antara the rabbit was spotted by one of the surveillance cameras installed across the park.

Aside from this rare species of rabbit, first recorded during the Dutch colonial period, the cameras located a Sumatra small ox (polyplectron chalcurum), a Sumatran elephant (elephant omaximus sumatranus) and a Sumatran tiger (panthera tigris sumatrensis).

Susilo said the 35-hectare park is also home to dozens of rare plants such as shorea ovalis and eurycoma longifolia, locally known to be useful for medication.(dja)