Which animal is critically endangered, with around 70 roaming the jungle? If you have guessed the Javan Rhino, you are correct. These dusty gray, hairless creatures with skin folds like armor plates once cast about southeast Asia to north-eastern India. But over the past 150 years, those in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java have perished. Today, they exist only in one place: the Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. Threats, both human-induced and natural, severely diminished the range and population of Javan Rhinos. Proper conservation measures are imperative.
Several factors account for the dramatic decline in numbers— poaching is a significant problem common in endangered animals, and the Javan rhino is no exception. During colonial times, rhinos have been killed by trophy hunters as agricultural pests. Their horns were and continue to be sought as a commodity in traditional Asian medicine, inciting relentless hunting in the 19th century. The elimination has led to a concentrated, limited habitat, which entails other threats. The coastal Ujung Kulon National Park, housing the entire population, is highly prone to natural disasters. An explosion of the nearby volcano Anak Krakatau or a tsunami worsened by rising sea levels (which Indonesia is vulnerable to) could bring the species to immediate extinction. A similar concern is disease: four deaths of rhinos in recent years have been attributed to disease, which was speculated to have been transmitted from wild cattle in the park to the rhinos. Low genetic diversity and potential inbreeding from deficient numbers could increase the chances of such illnesses, rendering long-term survival difficult. Furthermore, Javan rhinos are known to have a slower reproductive rate compared to other large mammals. They have long gestation periods, around 16 months, while females often produce one calf every three to five years. The reproduction condition isn’t the only factor hindering restoration; an invasive species, Arenga palm, is debilitating habitat quality and natural forage. The plant limits the park’s carrying capacity by overtaking the rhino’s native food vegetation in 6,178 acres of former habitat. Residents nearby are also actively encroaching on and degrading already insufficient territory. It is speculated that economic developments in the tourism industry will engender further destruction.
Acknowledging such challenges, non-governmental organizations aim to protect and expand the species. The International Rhino Foundation (IRF), for instance, is collaborating with Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP), local NGOs like the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia (YABI), and the Alliance of Forest Integrated Conservation (ALeRT). The institution sends Rhino Protection Units (RPUs) to patrol the park, restricting poaching and habitat destruction. Habitat augmentation in eastern UKNP is carried out through initiatives such as the Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area (JRSCA), which restores native rhino food plants. As a result, the Javan rhino population is slowly rising, with individuals settling in expanded habitat areas. But protection alone will not save them. Establishing a second population— increasing range and number— is the next step to removing Javan rhinos from the red list. The World Wildlife (WWF) is working towards establishing a site for the second population; prospects include a feasibility study of the location, management systems, and joint effort with communities in the buffer zone. Alongside the positive changes being and to be made, there are still pressing issues threatening the Javan rhinos. A case in point, the Indonesian NGO Auriga Nusantara claimed a bias in the government’s population tally. According to its report, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry has disregarded the years-long absence of certain rhinos, incorporating only positive news such as baby rhino sightings. Likewise, the IRF stated that 12 of 76 individuals were detected on camera traps for the last three years, and their survival statuses are unknown. A rebound seems challenging for the Javan rhino population, but as the recovery of the southern white rhino reveals, our continued attention and conservation actions may be what will rescue them.
Bibliography
Belcher, Stephen. “Javan Rhino | International Rhino FoundationInternational Rhino Foundation.” International Rhino Foundation, https://rhinos.org/about-rhinos/rhino-species/javan-rhino/. Accessed 28 April 2024.
Dinerstein, Eric. “Javan rhinoceros | Population, Habitat, & Facts.” Britannica, 22 March 2024, https://www.britannica.com/animal/Javan-rhinoceros. Accessed 28 April 2024.
“Javan Rhinos: Threats, Conservation, Interesting Facts | IFAW.” International Fund for Animal Welfare, https://www.ifaw.org/international/animals/javan-rhinos. Accessed 28 April 2024.
Jayasinghe, Nilanga. “Javan Rhino | Species.” WWF, https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/javan-rhino. Accessed 28 April 2024.