Survivor: Java

Unlike all the other survivor game shows, this show will probably give the prize money to the individual that manages to raise the number of participants. Introducing the Javan Rhino, Rhinoceros sondaicus.

The Javan Rhino's last wild habitat is the Ujung Kulon National Park, where all 60 individuals are said to live. In the past, there used to be 2 other subspecies of Javan Rhinoceros that live in Borneo and Vietnam. Today the Javan Rhino is the sole surviving subspecies still present in the wild.

Only males of the Javan Rhinoceros species grow the horn above its nose

Javan Rhinoceros grow to about 1.7m in height and 4m in length, having lose folds of skin giving them an armour-like appearance. Its single namesake horn grows to about 25cm atop the male's nose, it is used to plow away vegetation and uproot plants for them to eat. Due to the similarities Javan Rhinoceros was once mistaken to be of the same species as the Indian Rhinoceros due to their similar appearances, it is now noted that the species is a smaller relative of the Indian Rhinoceros.

As mentioned in the previous post on cheetahs, the Javan rhinoceros face the same problem of a small population, their genetic variability his been severely affected by large extinctions within their populations. Such events include those outside the sphere of human influence, for example, the Karkatoa volcanic explosion of 1883 which wiped out majority of the then Ujung Kulon Javan Rhinoceros population. The current population now present in the park is said to be a re-colonization of the species from other parts of Java.

However, even in light of its current crisis, the Javan Rhinoceros population shows that it is still fighting for its species survival. This ray of hope comes in the form of, much to conservationist's delight, 3 healthy looking calves - 2 males and 1 female!

One of the 3 new Rhino calves with its mother

Yet this is only the first of many steps to a successful recovery of the population. The population needs to grow bigger and establish itself in areas other than the park to prevent further loss of genetic material, or face a possible sudden extinction like what happen in 1883. There is still along way to go, but for now, let us celebrate this small victory.

References

Belcher, S. (2015). [Partially Submerged Javan Rhinoceros Photograph]
Retrieved from: http://www.rhinos.org/species/javan-rhino/
Last accessed: 19 Sept 2015

Fernando, P., Polet, G., Foead, N., Ng, L., Pastorini, J., & Melnick, D. (2006). Genetic diversity, phylogeny and conservation of the Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus). Conservation Genetics, 7(3), 439-448. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10592-006-9139-4
Retrieved from: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/124/1245662536.pdf
Last accessed: 19 Sept 2015

Getty Images,. (2015). [Javan Rhinoceros Mother and Calf]
Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11859454/High-hopes-for-the-worlds-rarest-rhino-after-three-calves-are-spotted-in-Indonesian-national-park.html
Last accessed: 19 Sept 2015

Purnomo, H., Herawati, H., & Santoso, H. (2011). Indicators for assessing Indonesia’s Javan rhino National Park vulnerability to climate change. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change, 16(7), 733-747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11027-011-9291-0
Retrieved from: http://link.springer.com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/article/10.1007/s11027-011-9291-0/fulltext.html
Last accessed: 19 Sept 2015

World Wildlife Fund,. (2015). Rare Video of Critically Endangered Javan Rhinos.
Retrieved from: http://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/rare-video-of-critically-endangered-javan-rhinos
Last accessed: 19 Sept 2015

Wwf.panda.org,. (2015). Javan rhinoceros. 
Retrieved from: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/rhinoceros/asian_rhinos/javan_rhinoceros/
Last accessed: 19 Sept 2015