Javan rhinoceros
© WWF / Mike BALTZER
Possibly the most threatened large mammal in the world.
Javan rhinos measure about 130 – 150 centimetres in height and can weigh up to 1,500 kilogrammes. The Rhinoceros sondaicus annamitcus sub-species in Vietnam is considerably smaller than its Ujong Kulon counterparts in Indonesia.
It is generally believed that only the males have a small horn. The horn is actually a dense formation of hair; it is not bone. Rhino horn is highly valued as a traditional medicine. However, it is important to know that the medical claims have never been scientifically proven and that hunting and trading in parts of any rhino is forbidden under the international Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The Javan rhino is basically a solitary animal. If more than one rhino is seen at the same time, it most often a female with its young. The gestation period of these rhinos is about 16 months. A young rhino stays with its mother for about three to four years. Javan rhinos become sexually mature after four to six years.
The Javan rhino is quite adaptable to its environment. They live in semi-evergreen forests and like to graze in open grassy areas. In Vietnam, the rhinos have been pushed into a very inhospitable area of steep hills covered with inaccessible bamboo and rattan thickets.
They appear to eat a wide range of plants but their diet is largely unknown. To supplement their diets, they need to consume salt regularly. Therefore, in Ujong Kulon the rhinos drink seawater. In Vietnam, the rhinos are known to frequent a number of saltlicks - springs with mineral rich water. The saltlicks are of crucial importance for this rhino to survive. If the rhino can not get its minerals from the saltlick, it will certainly die. Saltlicks are also places where these solitary animals meet each other regularly.
Because rhinos are very plump, it is difficult for them to keep their body temperature low. Therefore, rhinos stay out of the sun and like to bathe often in so called wallows. The dried out mud on their skin helps to protect them against dangerous radiation from the sun and also against all kinds of parasites.
Wallowing is, therefore, very important for rhinos. Wallow sites are also often places where different rhinos meet each other and without them rhinos would find it difficult to find a partner with which to mate.
The footprints of the rhinos in Ujong Kulon and Vietnam are quite different. The ones in Vietnam are much smaller. Scientists estimate that the Vietnamese rhino is about 60 to 70% of the size of its Indonesian relative. Although they are of the same species, scientists believe the populations are so different that they can not be crossbred.
It is important is to note that, in fact, very little is known about Javan rhinos, especially the ones in Vietnam.
Visit Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project for more details.
