Javan Rhinos

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Overview:

Indonesian officials recently reported the sighting of a new Javan rhino calf in Ujung Kulon National Park, home to the last surviving population of the critically endangered species.

About Javan Rhino

  • The Javan rhino, also known as the lesser-one-horned rhino, is the most threatened of the five rhino species.
  • Scientific Name: Rhinoceros sondaicus
  • Distribution:
  • They once lived throughout northeast India and Southeast Asia.
  • Today, the entire population of the Javan rhinos is found in the Ujung Kulon National Park on the very western tip of Java, Indonesia
  • Habitat: They inhabit forests, marshy areas, and regions of thick bush and bamboo.
  • Population: In 2020, park managers, relying on camera trap data to identify and track the animals, estimated that no more than 68–74 surviving individuals remained.

Features:

  • It is a smaller and lighter relative of the greater one-horned rhino. They can reach a height of 1.7 m (5.6 ft) and weigh up to 2,300 kg (5,070 lb). 
  • They have grey or grey-brown skin, almost black when wet, with pink colouring in the folds.
  • Similar to the Indian rhino, the Javan rhinoceros has a single horn, unlike the other three species of rhinos, which have two. 
  • It has the smallest of horns for all species of rhinoceros measuring less than 20 cm (7.9 in) in length.
  • Lifespan: 30 to 45 years in the wild.
  • They’re herbivorous, only eating plants.
  • They’re solitary animals, except for mating pairs and mothers with young.
  • Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Q1: What is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species?

It is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species. Open to all, it is used by governmental bodies, non-profit organisations, businesses and individuals.It provides information about species’ range, population size, habitats and ecology, use and trade, threats, and conservation actions that help inform conservation decisions.

Source: Indonesia reports a new Javan rhino calf, but population doubts persist