Post by Deinobrontornis on Jan 2, 2012 22:17:33 GMT -5
Today, less than 100 rhinos exist in Ujung Kulon National Park.
VIVAnews – After being declared extinct in India and Vietnam in 2011, now Ujung Kulon National Park, Banten, has become the only habitat for Javanese Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus).
Based on a calculation using video trap method, 35 Javanese rhinos have been identified. Today, less than 100 rhinos exist in Ujung Kulon National Park.
Data and Program Evaluation Affairs of Ujung Kulon National Park, Arif Junaidi, said that one of the problems in taking inventory is the nature of Javanese Rhinos, which are dubbed solitary animals not just to other species but also among themselves.
In addition, not enough cameras are available to cover the area. “We are planning to install around 100 to 120 cameras in 2012. We only have 30 cameras covering an area of 40 hectares for the time being,” he told VIVAnews on Thursday, Dec 29.
Arif said sustaining the species is no easy task. “It's the people and the lack of concern. People don't see the importance of the species; maybe it’s because of lack of education. Javanese Rhinos only exist in Ujung Kulon,” he said.
He said the current state of ignorance surfaces probably due to the fact that people have never witnessed the existence of the species. “They haven’t seen the animals yet. I have worked here many years and still haven’t seen them. I can only trace the footsteps, urine and feces,” Arif added.
Ujung Kulon is a strategic place for rhinos as it is located in a peninsula away from people’s settlement.
“However, the intensity of human activities is pretty high, such as taking honey, catching birds and even illegal logging,” he said.
Rhinos are sensitive creatures when it comes to environment changes. “The animals can be distressed if they’re being disturbed,” he said.
The condition of Ujung Kulon is another factor to be concerned. "It is located near Krakatau volcano and there is a possibility of tsunami,” he said.
There is no solution yet on how and where to evacuate the endangered species should a natural disaster happen. “It is still under research,” he said.
Although the endangered species has become world’s attention, it has yet to receive enough exposure in-country. The extinction of the species in Vietnam in 2011 was a worldwide issue.
If the species is extinct in Indonesia, it will cause great loss to the world, especially to our nation. “Extinct animals can’t be recovered again,” he said.
Just like Javanese Tiger extinction, “One day, our grandchildren will only hear about Javanese Rhinos from the stories,” he said.
In October 2011, the only Javanese Rhino in Vietnam died because of illegal hunting. The poor animal was found dead in Cat Tien National Park with a gunshot in its leg while its horn had been cut off.
Illegal hunting of rhinos has increased within the past years. Not just in Asia, African rhinos are also endangered.
The illegal hunting increased because of the demand from traditional medicine markets in Asia. Rhino’s horns are famously known as virility medicine.
Source: us.en.vivanews.com/news/read/276008-indonesia-java-rhinos-seriously-threatened
VIVAnews – After being declared extinct in India and Vietnam in 2011, now Ujung Kulon National Park, Banten, has become the only habitat for Javanese Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus).
Based on a calculation using video trap method, 35 Javanese rhinos have been identified. Today, less than 100 rhinos exist in Ujung Kulon National Park.
Data and Program Evaluation Affairs of Ujung Kulon National Park, Arif Junaidi, said that one of the problems in taking inventory is the nature of Javanese Rhinos, which are dubbed solitary animals not just to other species but also among themselves.
In addition, not enough cameras are available to cover the area. “We are planning to install around 100 to 120 cameras in 2012. We only have 30 cameras covering an area of 40 hectares for the time being,” he told VIVAnews on Thursday, Dec 29.
Arif said sustaining the species is no easy task. “It's the people and the lack of concern. People don't see the importance of the species; maybe it’s because of lack of education. Javanese Rhinos only exist in Ujung Kulon,” he said.
He said the current state of ignorance surfaces probably due to the fact that people have never witnessed the existence of the species. “They haven’t seen the animals yet. I have worked here many years and still haven’t seen them. I can only trace the footsteps, urine and feces,” Arif added.
Ujung Kulon is a strategic place for rhinos as it is located in a peninsula away from people’s settlement.
“However, the intensity of human activities is pretty high, such as taking honey, catching birds and even illegal logging,” he said.
Rhinos are sensitive creatures when it comes to environment changes. “The animals can be distressed if they’re being disturbed,” he said.
The condition of Ujung Kulon is another factor to be concerned. "It is located near Krakatau volcano and there is a possibility of tsunami,” he said.
There is no solution yet on how and where to evacuate the endangered species should a natural disaster happen. “It is still under research,” he said.
Although the endangered species has become world’s attention, it has yet to receive enough exposure in-country. The extinction of the species in Vietnam in 2011 was a worldwide issue.
If the species is extinct in Indonesia, it will cause great loss to the world, especially to our nation. “Extinct animals can’t be recovered again,” he said.
Just like Javanese Tiger extinction, “One day, our grandchildren will only hear about Javanese Rhinos from the stories,” he said.
In October 2011, the only Javanese Rhino in Vietnam died because of illegal hunting. The poor animal was found dead in Cat Tien National Park with a gunshot in its leg while its horn had been cut off.
Illegal hunting of rhinos has increased within the past years. Not just in Asia, African rhinos are also endangered.
The illegal hunting increased because of the demand from traditional medicine markets in Asia. Rhino’s horns are famously known as virility medicine.
Source: us.en.vivanews.com/news/read/276008-indonesia-java-rhinos-seriously-threatened
