10 May 10

One of World’s Last Javan Rhinos Murdered by Poachers in Vietnam

UPDATE 25 OCTOBER 2011: Javan Rhinos Declared Extinct in Vietnam.

Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam, home to the one of the world’s rarest mammals, is now the site of a heinous environmental crime: The murder of one of the world’s last Javan rhinos for its horn.

Javan rhino: One of the world’s rarest mammals

The population of this Javan rhino subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) is believed to be only around five individuals – and possibly fewer – giving it the unfortunate distinction of being one of the rarest mammals on earth.

According to published reports, the Javan rhino’s decayed body was found on April 29 by park rangers.

A team of rangers found the rhino’s carcass April 29 inside Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai province, said park official Bach Thanh Hai. It had already fully decayed, and authorities believe it could have died more than three months ago, he said.

A WWF Javan rhino population study confirmed late last year that Javan rhinos were still surviving in Vietnam. The survey’s purpose was to gather genetic data in order to develop a local conservation management strategy, as these rhinos are facing multiple threats, including illegal settlers and the construction of a power plant.

Around 60 Javan rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus) of a different subspecies are found in Indonesia.

Rhino populations worldwide have been devastated by the demand for rhino horn in China and Vietnam. Primitive cultural superstitions about rhino horn still persist in these regions, where rhino horn is considered to be a “medicine” for common ailments – despite the fact that scientific analysis has confirmed rhino horn has no medicinal effects on humans.

Photo: © WWF Vietnam

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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