Vietnam – WWF researchers have teamed up with national park rangers and two highly trained sniffer dogs in the forests of southern Vietnam to determine the population status of the Javan rhino, one of only two populations of the species left on the planet.
“The Javan rhino is possibly the rarest large mammal on Earth,” said Sarah Brook, leader of the WWF rhino project. “This field survey aims to reveal the secrets of Vietnam’s little known Javan rhino population in an effort to save it from extinction.”
Javan rhino (rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) were thought to be extinct on mainland Southeast Asia until hunters in Vietnam killed an individual in 1988. It is believed less than ten remain, but no conclusive survey has ever been conducted to verify this.
Specially trained sniffer dogs from the United States have been employed to detect rhino dung or faeces. Samples of the dung will be sent to Queen’s University in Canada where DNA analysis will detect the sex and number of animals. Samples will also be sent to the Zoological Society of London for hormone analysis to show the animal’s breeding capability and stress levels.
After just five days of surveying the area, seven rhino dung samples have been found. These specimens have given the project team confidence that they can gather all scientific information needed. The results of these analyses will form the basis for an urgent rhino conservation plan.
“The rhino is not only a rare animal unique to this country, but preserving the rhino is a flagship for conservation efforts in Vietnam,” said Hien Tran Minh, Country Director for WWF Vietnam. “If we lose the rhino the future does not look good for Vietnam’s other rare and endemic.”
The Javan rhino is a highly valued commodity in the illegal wildlife trade, with the rhino horn, skin and faeces used for medicinal purposes. Habitat encroachment from agricultural expansion and planned hydropower development also pose increasing threats to this small population.
To improve protection for rhinos and other wildlife threatened by poachers, WWF in collaboration with the Asian Rhino project is supporting local communities to join the Forest Protection Department and national parks staff.
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