The Javan Rhinoceros

Introduction

The Javan rhinoceros (more precisely Sunda rhinoceros) or lesser one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It belongs to the same genus as the Indian rhinoceros, and has similar mosaicked skin which resembles armor, but at 3.1–3.2 m (10–10.5 feet) in length and 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.8 ft) in height, it is smaller (in fact, it is closer in size to the black rhinoceros of the genus Diceros). Its horn is usually less than 25 cm (10 inches), smaller than those of the other rhino species.

Once the most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses, the Javan rhinoceros ranged from the islands of Java and Sumatra, throughout Southeast Asia, and into India and China. The species is critically endangered, with only one known population in the wild, and no individuals in captivity. It is possibly the rarest large mammal on earth, 21 with a population of as few as 40 in Ujung Kulon National Park at the western tip of Java in Indonesia. A second population in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam was confirmed as extinct in 2011. The decline of the Javan rhinoceros is attributed to poaching, primarily for their horns, which are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine, fetching as much as US$30,000 per kilogramme on the black market. 31 Loss of habitat, especially as the result of wars, such as the Vietnam War, in Southeast Asia, has also contributed to the species’ decline and hindered recovery. The remaining range is within one nationally protected area, but the rhinos are still at risk from poachers, disease and loss of genetic diversity leading to inbreeding depression.

The Javan rhino can live approximately 30–45 years in the wild. It historically inhabited lowland rain forest, wet grasslands and large floodplains. The Javan rhino is mostly solitary, except for courtship and offspring-rearing, though groups may occasionally congregate near wallows and salt licks. Aside from humans, adults have no predators in their range. The Javan rhino usually avoids humans, but will attack when it feels threatened. Scientists and conservationists rarely study the animals directly due to their extreme rarity and the danger of interfering with such an endangered species. Researchers rely on camera traps and fecal samples to gauge health and behavior. Consequently, the Javan rhino is the least studied of all rhino species. Two adult rhinos with their calves were filmed in a motion-triggered video released on February 28, 2011 by WWF and Indonesia’s National Park Authority, which proved it is still breeding in the wild.In April 2012, the National Parks Authority released video showing 35 individual Javan rhinos, including offspring.

Statistics

Even the most optimistic estimate suggests

fewer than 100 Javan rhinos remain in the

wild. They are considered one of the most

endangered species in the world.The Javan

rhinoceros is known to survive in only one

place, the Ujung Kulon National Park on the

western tip of Java.

The animal was once widespread from Assam

and Bengal (where their range would have

overlapped with both the Sumatran and

Indian rhinos) eastward to Myanmar, Thailand,

Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and southwards

to the Malay Peninsula and the islands of

Sumatra, Java, and possibly Borneo. The

Javan rhino primarily inhabits dense, lowland

rain forests, grasslands, and reed beds with

abundant rivers, large floodplains, or wet

areas with many mud wallows. Although it

historically preferred low-lying areas, the

subspecies in Vietnam was pushed onto much

higher ground (up to 2,000 m or 6,561 ft),

probably because of human encroachment

and poaching.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature says the Northern White Rhino of central Africa is now ‘possibly extinct’ in the wild, and the Javan Rhino ‘probably extinct’ in Vietnam - after poachers killed the last animal there in 2010.

Only 40 to 60 Javan rhinos now remain in Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia. They are the last known living members of the species, with none in captivity.

Vietnam’s Javan rhino population had been shrinking for decades as land conversion and a rising local population threatened the animal’s habitat.

WWF, along with the International Rhino Foundation, confirmed that the last rhino had died in Vietnam by collecting and analyzing its feces.

Twenty-two of the rhino’s dung piles were found in Cat Tien from October 2009 to February 5, 2010, but no dung piles or fresh rhino footprints were seen in the subsequent nine weeks, the 44-page report said.

Vietnam’s Cat Tien National Park has had no sightings, footprints or dung from live rhinos since the last known animal living there was found dead last April, shot through the leg with its horn chopped off, the WWF said.

Genetic analysis of rhino faeces had confirmed in 2004 that at least two rhinos were living in the park, raising hopes that Vietnam’s population might survive.

Before 1988, the Javan rhino was believed to be extinct from mainland Asia. A small population was then discovered in Vietnam’s park, and for the past 20 years, a number of wildlife conservationists have worked to try to prevent the species from dying out in Vietnam.

The WWF highlighted that Vietnam is on the verge of an ‘extinction crisis’ with several other species — including the Saola and the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey — threatened by deforestation, widespread poaching and a ‘largely uncontrolled’ illegal wildlife trade.

Extinction In Vietnam

Monitoring And Tracking

WWF conducts ongoing research on the Javan rhino, which continues to reveal critical information about behavioral patterns, distribution, movement, population size, sex ratio and genetic diversity. We also work closely with the Ujung Kulon National Park Authority to keep track of rhino populations. In 2010, we received camera trap footage of two Javan rhinos and two of their calves in the dense tropical rainforests of the protected area. The videos prove that one of the world’s rarest mammals are breeding. Before these camera trap images surfaced, only twelve other Javan rhino births were recorded in the past decade.

Managing Javan Rhino Habitat

WWF supports habitat management in Ujung Kulon National Park. Our efforts focus on the removal of Arenga palm, an invasive species that leaves the area barren of food for rhinos, and support for antipoaching patrols.

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