Javan rhino population holds steady amid ever-present peril


JAKARTA — The Javan rhinoceros, one of the world’s most endangered species, continues to persevere in its last remaining sanctuary, the latest census from the Indonesian government has found. In a statement issued Feb. 26, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry said the population of Javan rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus) as of the end of 2017 was a minimum of 67 individuals: 37 males and 30 females. All of the rhinos, once the most widespread rhino species in Asia, are now corralled into a single area, Ujung Kulon National Park on the westernmost tip of Java — an area spanning 480 square kilometers (185 square miles), or the combined size of the New York boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Ujung Kulon National Park sits on the southwestern tip of Java. Map created using Map For Environment. The census showed the population holding steady from the previous year, park agency head Mamat Rahmat said in the statement. “Our field surveys found no signs of Javan rhino death,” he said. Four rhino protection units, or RPUs, comprising park authorities and representatives of conservation NGOs, regularly patrol the area. They are also helped by community members in joint patrols four times a year. The report indicated that the rhino population included about 13 juveniles — a positive sign, given that Javan rhinos are typically solitary animals known to have a low reproduction rate. Females of the species reach sexual maturity at 3 or 4 years old, while the males mature much later, at around…

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