Critically endangered Javan rhinos living in Ujung Kulon National Park will soon have more room to roam – and hopefully, breed.

Plans to establish a second habitat for Ujung Kulon’s Javan rhinos are moving forward, and rhino experts are hopeful that the increased area will entice these shy creatures to increase their numbers by 2015.

The current population estimate for Javan rhinos living in Ujung Kulon is fewer than 60.

New home for critically endangered Javan rhinos

A 3000 hectare Javan rhino conservation area is reportedly under development in the Gunung Honje area of Ujung Kulon National Park, and the relocation of a group of rhinos from the existing population is expected to occur as early as next year.

A spokesperson for Ujung Kulon National Park, Enjat Sudrajat, said via The Jakarta Globe, that in addition to helping to increase Javan rhino numbers, the new area would boost tourism.

The conservation area is also expected to become a world-class wildlife park that could also help to boost the number of domestic and foreign tourists …

I think Gunung Honje’s location will be suitable since it has enough pasture areas and it’s not too far [from the original habitat].

Several organizations are working together on this critical project, including the Indonesian Rhino Foundation (YABI) and the International Rhino Foundation (IRF).

Critically endangered Javan rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus) and Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) are both found in Indonesia.

Rhino populations have been decimated worldwide, due to the insatiable appetite for rhino horn in China and other Asian countries, where primitive superstitions about rhino horn still persist – despite scientific evidence that rhino horn has no medicinal effect on humans.

Source: Endangered Rhinos to Get New Home in Ujung Kulon, The Jakarta Globe, 23 February 2010

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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