The Javan rhino is a rare and critically endangered species of rhinoceros found in Ujung Kulon National Park on the Indonesian island of Java. Although once widespread across much of Southeast Asia, it now inhabits only isolated and small areas.
Taxonomy and Subspecies
The Javan rhinoceros belongs to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla, and family Rhinocerotidae. Its scientific name, Rhinoceros sondaicus, was described by Desmarest in 1822.
Three subspecies have been historically recognised: Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus, which survives today in Java; Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis, which is extinct and lived in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar; and Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus, whose last individual was poached in 2010.
Morphological Features
The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) resembles the Indian rhinoceros in general appearance, but is smaller and the least visible of the living rhino species. An adult can reach a length of 2 to 4 meters and a shoulder height of 1.4 to 1.7 meters. Their weigh between 900 and 2,300 kilograms (2,000–5,000 pounds). One of the species' distinguishing features is the folds of skin covering its body, which are dark gray or brownish-gray.
The Javan rhino is a single-horned species, the smallest in the rhinoceros family, usually less than 20 centimeters long. Morphologically, a distinct sexual difference is that a distinct horn is present only in males; females, even as adults are hornless or have only a small protrusion on the snout.
As a herbivorous species, it has a long, pointed upper lip adapted for feeding. Like other rhinos, it has well-developed senses of smell and hearing, but poor eyesight. In fights, it is known to use its sharp lower incisors instead of horns.
About the Javan Rhino (Earth Touch)
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
Historically, the Javan rhino's range extended from Bangladesh to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and possibly southern China, through Peninsular Malaysia and the islands of Sumatra and Java. However, by the mid-19th century, it had been extirpated from most of its range, and today only an isolated population remains on the Ujung Kulon Peninsula, off the western tip of Java, Indonesia. This population has been restricted to this region since around the 1930s.
The species is typically found in lowland tropical rainforest regions, particularly near water. Due to its rarity, its habitat preferences are not fully understood, but it is thought that its current habitat may not be optimal for the species.
Diet
The Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is a herbivore and browser. Its feeding habits are diverse, making it one of the most adaptive feeders among other rhino species. Its diet consists primarily of leaves, shoots, twigs, young shoots, twigs, and fallen fruit.
The animals use their long, prehensile upper lips to grasp vegetation and branches from high places, sometimes even knocking down small saplings or young trees with their horns or body weight to eat.
Reproduction
The Javan rhino's breeding cycle is limited due to its rarity and difficulty in monitoring in the wild; however, it is known to have a low reproductive rate. Females, like other rhinos, are generally thought to give birth to a single calf after a long gestation period of approximately 15 to 16 months. It is thought that mothers may have a long gap of four to five years before giving birth to a new calf. Naturally solitary, Javan rhinos congregate only during mating season, and adult males mark their territories with feces and urine.
Population Status
According to a 2020 assessment, the Javan rhino population resides only in a small, isolated group in Ujung Kulon National Park. While the population trend is considered stable, it has not shown any growth over the past two decades. The main reasons for this are changes in the national park's habitat, the spread of the Arenga palm, and potential food competition with the Javan bantengi (Bos javanicus). There are no individuals of the species in captivity, and the concentration of the entire known population in a single location threatens the species survival in the face of natural disasters.
Threats
The long-term population decline of the Javan rhino is primarily due to the excessive demand for its horn and other products in traditional Asian medicine systems. Poaching resulted in the killing of the last Javan rhino in Vietnam in 2010. While no poaching has been recorded in Ujung Kulon in recent years, this remains an ongoing threat that requires continued and increased protection.
A current threat is the Arenga obtusifolia palm , known locally as langkap, which occupies a large portion of the national park's habitat. By dominating the forest canopy, the Arenga inhibits the growth of the rhino's food plants and limits suitable habitat. Potential threats include competition for food with the endemic Javan bantengi and diseases carried by local domestic cattle. The region's vulnerability to the effects of volcanic events, such as the 1883 Krakatau eruption, is also a risk factor.
Protection Actions and Conservation Status
The Javan rhino is critically endangered due to its limited population size, its confined range, potential poaching, and habitat pressures. Its survival depends on the continued protection of the existing population and the establishment of a secondary population.
The Javan rhino is legally protected in Indonesia and has been listed on CITES Appendix I since 1975. Ujung Kulon National Park authorities and organizations such as Yayasan Badak Indonesia (Indonesian Rhino Foundation - YABI) have been conducting intensive protection and monitoring efforts for decades. In addition to park rangers, five Rhino Protection Units (RPUs) actively protect the species. Thanks to these protection efforts, poaching has not been recorded in Ujung Kulon National Park for a long time.
Protection efforts also include habitat management. Because the Langkap palm (Arenga) was reducing rhino habitat, Arenga clearance and management efforts were initiated in the Gunung Honje section in 2010.
