The Javan rhinoceros is one of the most critically endangered species on the planet. There are said to only be fifty remaining of the species in the wild, largely existing in Indonesia. The Javan rhino had been the most prolific of all five Asian rhinoceros species, however, it is now the most likely to become extinct. Recent findings are leaving conservationists further concerned with the future of the rhino.
Of the fifty remaining Javan rhinos in the wild, only four do not live in Indonesia. The other four reside in Vietnam. Unfortunately, officials recently discovered three Javan rhino remains in recent days in Indonesia, further dwindling the species’ numbers. Two of the deaths appear to be natural, however, one was said to be due to poaching as the horn was removed.
Poaching is a top reason the rhino is susceptible to extinction, especially with the amount their horns go for on the black market. In addition to poaching concerns, habitat destruction, competition for food and even a volcano threatens the species.
The majority of the population in Indonesia reside in the Ujung Kulon park, which is located close to an active volcano. Officials are concerned that an eruption could wipe out the entire population. A similar event occurred in 1883 when the Krakatau volcano erupted. The subsequent tsunami killed a large portion of the Javan rhino population.
The rhino has been saved from the cusp of extinction before. Only twenty of the rhinos were alive in the wild as of the 1960s. The number today, around 50 individuals, has remained approximately the same for more than a decade.
In order to try to ensure the rhino’s survival, officials in Indonesia have ordered a seven-mile electric fence be built to surround a 10,000 acre sanctuary. The fence is expected to be finished by the end of the year and will hopefully remove at least one risk to extinction: poaching. Conservationists are also considering establishing a second population in another area, such as on Sumatra island, in order to give the species a better chance of survival.
