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| WWF: empty Rhino wallow in Cat Tien NP |
The Javan Rhinoceros
(Rhinocerous sondaicus) was officially declared extinct by the government of Vietnam at a press conference in Hanoi last week. Two of the single horned rhinos clinged tenaciously to life until about 2006. Since then only one survived and it was killed by poachers. Found dead in April 2010, a recent field survey funded by the World Wildlife Foundation and the International Rhino Foundation covered 10,000 hectares but located no rhinos. Genetic analysis of dung samples confirmed that the dung belonged to a single rhinoceros living in Cat Tien National Park and the DNA isolated from the samples matched that taken from the carcass. Despite living in a protected area, the rhino was killed for its horn. Lax law enforcement, a problem all over Asia, allowed the last Vietnamese rhino to be snuffed out for superstition. Habitat loss also played a role since the extremely shy animals were restricted to only 6500 hectares of habitat in the park because dirt bike roads crisscrossing the area between human villages. WWF's rhino program director concluded that reintroduction of the Javan rhino is not feasible. Vietnam is experiencing an epidemic of poaching and habitat loss that will lead to a cascade of species extinctions. The rhino was unfortunately the first, but not the last. There are now only 44 Javan rhinos in the wild, all of which live in Indonesia's Ujung Kulon National Park. Only three to five breeding females are believed to be among the population. Poaching has been prevented for sixteen years by rhino protection units funded by the International Foundation for Rhinos. Conservation groups including WWF and local partners are working to expand rhino habitat in the park. There is hope for the survival of the Javan rhinoceros through aggressive management of habitat, expanding available habitat and increasing the population as fast as possible. All of this takes human commitment and money to preserve the species. You can join
US Person and contribute to the effort by donating at
www.javanrhinohope.org.
