Critically Endangered Javan Rhinos Found
Four to be exact – four of the rarest rhinos, the Javan Rhinos, were found in the dense jungles of Indonesia. The four young rhinos are some of the rarest creatures on the planet. Initially some of the most widespread, one of the three subspecies was extinct by 1900 due to direct human hunting and slaughter – the other are on the very brink of total annihilation. The other species called the Vietnamese Rhino, has just twelve known living specimens and is even rarer than the Javan rhino which has only 40 living. The Javan rhino was thought to be extinct several times, as many sources list it as such. It is such a rare animal that the surprising find has shocked many in the conservation efforts as all four found were young. This gives hope to the possibility of recovery of the rhino, as the four ran back into the jungle upon being spotted and were seen leaving with two older rhinos.
The hope, since these were all found in the wild, is that the rhino can make a recovery with the help of conservation efforts. Unfortunately no zoo has a Javan Rhino, and humans continue to attempt to poach them for their black-market value, and they are under constant threat of death from this. Additionally as the population of humanity booms in the region, their habitat is being stripped at an alarming rate. Indifference by local officials in some areas and by the population could doom the species. This is a case where human beings are directly in control of the fate of this critically endangered species, and it falls to us to either kill them all, or let them live and repopulate.
one comment:
I think it is wonderful to hear stories like this but I don’t believe the location should be disclosed for the safety of the animals.
Dar - 09 02 09 - 19:48