The rare birth of a Sumatran rhino in Indonesia has been hailed a victory for the critically endangered species, which has been almost wiped out in the wild by poaching and habitat destruction.

The female calf was born on western Sumatra island on Thursday — just the fifth rhino of its kind born in a breeding facility.

Sumatran rhinos are extremely rare, with just 100 believed to exist worldwide.

Susie Ellis, the head of the International Rhino Foundation, said their scarcity in the wild made this birth "extremely significant".

"Every birth counts," she said.

"One birth doesn't save the species, but it's one more Sumatran rhino."

Sumatran rhinos are targeted by poachers as their horns and other body parts fetch high prices on the black market for use in traditional Chinese medicine.

Their rainforest habitat on Sumatra island is also being destroyed due to the rapid expansion of palm oil and pulp and paper plantations.

Last year, they were declared extinct in Malaysia.

The newborn calf will remain under 24-hour observation in the sanctuary for six or seven years before being ready to mate.

It was the second time the mother Ratu — a 14-year-old rhino that wandered out of the rainforest a decade ago — had given birth at the facility.

Her previous birth four years ago marked the first time a Sumatran rhino had been born in an Asian breeding facility for more than 140 years.

Experts who witnessed the rare birth, including some who travelled from the United States and Australia, cheered, prayed and wept as the newborn took its first steps, Ms Ellis said.

"I burst into tears, because it was just such a special moment and such a joyous occasion," she said.

AFP