The Rhinoceros sondaicus from the family Rhinocerotidae and order Perissodactyla better known as the Javan Rhino is species of rhinos that stretches from 4.6–5.8 feet in height, 10–10.5 feet in length, weighing about 1,984 - 5,071 pounds that are estimated to live an average of 35 to 40 years in the wild. They have a dusky grey color and a single horn of up to 10 inches. Its skin has a number of loose folds, giving the appearance of armor plating. The Javan rhino is very similar in appearance to the closely-related greater one-horned rhinoceros but has a much smaller head and less apparent skin folds.
Javan rhino’s diet is characterized by high species diversity. Hundreds of food plant species have been recorded, but about 40% of the quantity of food eaten comes from a few preferred and common plant species. The rhinos eat mostly leaves, young shoots, and twigs. Most of the plants eaten by rhinos grow in unshaded locations such as areas with vegetation without tall trees, gaps created by fallen trees, and shrubland without trees. This is due to the fact that these unshaded places have a better average quality of food plants and Javan rhinos rarely feed in vegetation types where the quantity of available food is low.
The Javan rhino exists in a single population in Ujung Kulon peninsular, western Java, Indonesia. Here, the rhino population has recovered quite well from fewer than 30 individuals in 1967 to 50 and 60 in 1980. Since then the population has been stagnant or even sometimes, slowly declining. They are illegally hunted for their horns due to the demand in Chinese medicine and have also been prone to habitat destruction which led to them being wiped out from Vietnam. The current estimate of the number of Javan Rhinos in the wild is between 65 and 68 which is why they are critically endangered. Due to the small size of their population, they are prone to inbreeding and loss of genetic variability and vitality
Re-establishment of Javan rhinos in areas where they have been exterminated along with rejuvenation of their habitat in these areas are critical components of the conservation strategy for the Javan Rhino. Donating to rhino conservation programs will help improve the monitoring and protection of this species.
Write up by Zorawar Desai and Art by Amrit Srivastava
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