JAVAN RHINOCEROS

The Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is one of the world's most threatened species.

Its historical range spanned from East India, southern China, Vietnam, to Sumatra. Today, this species is only confined to a single location on the island of Java, Indonesia. The number of adult individuals is estimated to be around 50.

Poaching for illegal Chinese medicine, growing human population, habitat fragmentation, or even possibly poisons used by fishermen for fishing have been the chief factors in the steady decline. However, the current threat is the spread of the invasive Arenga palm tree.

ARENGA PALM TREE REMOVAL SCHEME

The Arenga grows very densely and quickly overtakes entire areas with very little opportunity for other plants to grow.
Although the plants on which the Javan Rhinoceros browses can grow back within a year, the Arenga palm tree covers over 60% of the Ujung Kulon National Park, the only refuge of the Javan Rhinoceros.

The team at OFORA Foundation Trust is working tirelessly to remove the Arenga palm tree from the Javan Rhino distribution range. Long, hot and humid days are spent in the jungles manually cutting down the Arenga invasion. These men and women are holding the last survival thread of this incredible species.

Due to the critically low numbers, the Javan Rhinoceros, together with the Sumatran Rhinoceros are highly susceptible to inbreeding and diseases and are both listed as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED on the IUCN Red List.

Indonesia is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and has suffered from almost all human-induced environmental issues, which is resulting in habitat destruction and large-scale extinctions. This makes Indonesia one of the conservation hotspots and a prime focal area of the UPM Program.

Please follow the OFORA Trust Foundation and its amazing work!

If you wish to get involved or contribute to the protection of the Javan Rhinoceros and its habitat, please contact us for more information.

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