Hope for the Javan Rhino?

WWF Indonesia finally released some images and a video of the rare Javan Rhinoceros this week. They were distributed through National Geographic and other media channels some months after they were captured, towards the end of 2010. There are only 40 individuals in the wild with none in captivity, which makes it the most critically endangered mammal on Earth.

 The last surviving Javan Rhinoceroses can be found at Ujung Kulon National Park, towards the southern tip of West Java. Included within the realms of the National Park is Anak Krakatau, an active volcano which could theoretically pose disaster for this fragile population. The park itself however does present fantastic eco-tourism opportunities which are valuable not only for the upkeep of the park; but also for the success of conservation efforts.

Aside from natural disasters, the rhinoceros is also vulnerable to poaching for its horn, which some believe has medicinal properties, according to WWF.

Organizers hope that including local people in the monitoring effort will help them protect the species from poaching, oversee the remaining animals, and establish a new population of rhinos via relocation.

"Fifty years of conservation experience has taught us that saving Javan rhinos is possible through population management and proper protection," WWF's Long said. "We've done it before helping rhino populations rebound in Africa and South Asia and we can do it again in Indonesia."

The Javan rhinoceros, pictured in late 2010, has a 10-inch-long (25-centimeter-long) horn and loose folds that give the appearance of armor plating, according to WWF.

The species looks a lot like the closely related Indian rhinoceros but is slightly smaller, with a tinier head and fewer skin folds.

The video depicts a calf with it's mother, which is indeed a hopeful sign for this critically endangered species.

 

To find out more about Javan Rhino conservation efforts, please check Saving Rhinos or make a donation through WWF





Source: National Geographic