View Images Najaq, who was captured in March with the goal of moving her to a secure sanctuary, has passed away. Read about her discovery. 
 
 Photograph by Ari WIBOWO, WWF-Indonesia 
 
 When a female Sumatran rhino was captured in a pit trap in March in the Indonesian part of Borneo, the conservation community cheered. The endangered species had not been physically encountered in the area for 40 years. But now that hopeful story has taken a sad turn, as the rhino—known as Najaq—has died. 
 
 "Our hearts are saddened by this devastating news from Kalimantan," the International Rhino Foundation wrote on its Facebook page Tuesday. 
 
 Najaq succumbed to a leg infection after her health deteriorated over the past few days, Indonesia's environment minister said. Further investigations are pending. 
 
 According to Arnold Sitompul, conservation director of WWF-Indonesia, early evidence suggest the infection was first caused by a snare from an earlier poaching attempt, before the animal was caught by conservationists. 
 
 "The sad death of this rhino reminds us of the tremendous challenges associated with protecting the Sumatran rhino population in the Indonesian part of Borneo," says Sitompul. 
 
 Najaq was thought to be four or five years old. She was captured in a pit trap in Kutai Barat in East Kalimantan on March 12. Sumatran rhinos had been thought extinct from Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, but some camera trap evidence gathered in 2013 had suggested the return of at least a few individuals in the past few years. 
 
 As a result of that evidence, conservationists had set a trap with the goal of moving any rhinos from the area to a more secure sanctuary, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) away. The region was too close to mining operations and plantations to be considered safe habitat. 
 
 View Images Najaq is one of only about 100 Sumatran rhinos left. 
 
 Photograph by Ari WIBOWO, WWF-Indonesia 
 
 "It is our hope that the next rhino captured in Kalimantan will be sent to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary where it can be cared for in a permanent facility by experienced veterinarians and keepers," the International Rhino Foundation wrote. 
 
 "Most importantly, we hope that the next rhino captured will be part of the much-needed Sumatran rhino metapopulation management strategy, while concurrent surveys are conducted to accurately determine the population in Kalimantan and appropriate long-term plans made." 
 
 The smallest of the world's five species of rhinos, the Sumatran is covered with patches of stiff hair. Dark red-brown in color, the animals prefer to live in dense mountain forests, where they are highly elusive. They are usually solitary creatures that feed on fruit, twigs, and leaves. They can find one another by leaving scent trails, which they can pick up with their keen sense of smell. (Learn more about efforts to save the species.) 
 
 Sumatran rhinos can grow up to 1,760 pounds (800 kilograms) and reach a length of 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3.2 meters). About 100 Sumatran rhinos are thought to exist in the wild, mostly on the island of Sumatra, making them one of the rarest mammals on the planet. 
 
 While their two horns are considerably smaller than those on African rhinos, the appendages are still prized on the black market for purported health benefits, despite scientific evidence proving that such treatments don't work. Their population has been hammered over the past century by poaching and loss of habitat from deforestation, mining, and other impacts. The rhino was declared extinct from the Malaysian section of Borneo last year. 
 
 "This [death] demonstrates the threats faced by the Sumatran rhino and underscores why we need to continue our efforts with the strong support of the government and other experts to save the remaining population of Sumatran rhinos in the area," says Sitompul. 
 
 This story was updated at 4:17 pm to include additional info from WWF. 

 A rare Sumatran rhino has died just weeks after its discovery in the Indonesian part of Borneo was hailed as a milestone by conservationists. 
 
 Indonesia’s Environment Ministry told AFP that the female rhino, known as Najaq, died after contracting a leg infection. The animal’s health had deteriorated in recent days, according to the Ministry, which said that a post-mortem examination is being carried out to find the official cause of death. 
 
 The rhino was captured in a pit trap in Kutai Barat in East Kalimantan on March 12, marking humans' first physical contact with the species in the area for over 40 years. 
 
 Related: Rare Sumatran rhino sighted in Indonesian Borneo 
 
 The sighting in an area where the rhinos were thought to be extinct was welcomed by conservationists. 
 
 A World Wildlife Fund survey team first found evidence that the species was not extinct in Kalimantan after they identified footprints and captured a photo of a rhino in the same forest. Some 15 Sumatran rhinos were subsequently identified in three populations in Kutai Barat. 
 
 There are only an estimated 100 Sumatran rhinos still in the wild, mainly on the island of Sumatra. 
 
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 Threats to the rhinos include poaching and habitat loss due to mining, plantations and logging. Experts note that the wild population of Sumatran rhinos in the Malaysian part of Borneo was declared extinct last year. 
 
 Indonesia recently announced an increase in the population of another type of rhino, the Javan rhino, which only survives in Ujung Kulon National Park in the Banten province of Indonesia. Three new calves brought the number of Javan rhinos up to 63, the WWF reports. 

 A critically endangered Sumatran rhino has died weeks after its chance discovery on the Indonesian part of Borneo island was hailed as a landmark conservation success, an official said Tuesday. 
 
 Play Video Why Endangered Species Are Doomed How actions today affect extinction rates of tomorrow. DCI 
 
 The rare rhino was caught in a pit trap last month in East Kalimantan province in an area close to mining operations and plantations, where it was struggling to survive. 
 
 It was the first physical contact environmentalists had made with a Sumatran rhino on Indonesian Borneo in more than 40 years, after it was assumed the animal was long extinct. 
 
 However Najaq, as the female rhino was known, succumbed to a leg infection after her health deteriorated in recent days, Indonesia’s environment ministry confirmed. 
 
 “The death of this Sumatran rhino proves they exist on Borneo, so we will continue protecting them,” Tachrir Fathoni, a senior official at the environment ministry, told AFP. 
 
 A post-mortem examination is being conducted to determine the official cause of death, he added. 
 
 Environmentalists discovered in 2013 that the Sumatran rhino was not extinct on Indonesian Borneo — as had long been thought — when hidden cameras captured images of the animals. 
 
 Conservationists had heralded the capture of the rhino in March as an exciting discovery, and expressed disappointment at the tragic turn of events. 
 
 “This is a very valuable lesson that shows saving a rhino can be very difficult, and needs the support of experts,” said WWF Indonesia head Efransjah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. 
 
 There were once Sumatran rhinos all over Borneo but their numbers have dwindled dramatically, with poaching and the expansion of mining and plantation operations considered the main reasons for the decline. 
 
 The Sumatran rhino is the only Asian rhino with two horns, and are covered with long hair. It’s estimated there are less than 100 left in the wild.
– A Sumatran rhino, whose discovery in the wild last month was "hailed as a landmark conservation success," has died only weeks later, AFP reports. According to National Geographic, the rhino, named Najaq, was captured March 12 in Indonesian Borneo in a trap set by conservationists hoping to move any surviving rhinos to a nearby sanctuary. With only 100 or so left in the wild, Sumatran rhinos are thought to be one of the rarest mammals on Earth. The area where Najaq was caught is considered to be unsafe due to its proximity to mining operations and plantations. The female rhino, believed to be 4 or 5 years old, was in failing health and eventually died from a leg infection, which appears to have been caused by an earlier poaching attempt. The capturing of Najaq was seen as a big deal because it was the first contact conservationists had with a Sumatran rhino in Indonesian Borneo in 40 years. Until 2013, when hidden cameras captured images of the rare rhinos, they were assumed to be extinct on the Indonesian portion of the island. They were declared extinct in Malaysian Borneo last year, Fox News reports. In addition to plantations and mining, Sumatran rhinos are at risk from poaching. Their horns are believed to be good for health, despite scientific research to the contrary. While conservationists are disappointed to lose Najaq, her death won't be in vain. She proved Sumatran rhinos still exist on Borneo and need help to survive. "We will continue protecting them," AFP quotes an Indonesian official.