Poachers could be to blame for rare Javan rhino death

An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of death of one of the world's rarest large mammals after it was found in a Vietnamese national park.

A scientific examination carried out by WWF indicates poachers were at fault as the rhino had been shot and a horn had been removed. Rhino horns are incredibly valuable in the illegal wildlife trade and are allegedly used in medicine.

Under Vietnam law it is illegal to trade, use or consume parts of an endangered animal and if caught offenders could face imprisonment or large fines.

The body was first discovered by local people in Cat Tien National Park on April 29. A patrol team was dispatched to the scene where the body was confirmed to be that of a Javan rhino.

Vietnamese Javan rhinos are one of two populations of the species left on Earth with an estimated fewer than 60 Javan rhino left. The other population can be found in Ujung kuloN National park in Indonesia with an estimated 40-60 left. There are no Javan rhinos in captivity.

National Policy Coordinator off WWF Vietnam Dung Huynh Tien said "the loss of this rhino is symbolic of the grim situation facing endangered species like the rhino and tiger across Vietnam."

He continues "WWF urges the Vietnamese Government to launch an urgent and extensive criminal investigation into this animal's death."

Rhino poaching met a 15 year high last year with Asia's rising demand for rhino horns and an increase in poachers.

New hope for most endangered rhinos

The Sumatran rhino is the most endangered species of rhino in the world but new footage has shown that they could be breeding.

The World Wildlife Fund said that the footage was evidence that the rare rhinoceros's, often labeled the 'hairy rhino' due to their hairy body, were breeding on Borneo Island.

Raymond Alfred from the WWF said that a camera set up in a forest near Malaysia's Sabah state captured stills of one female rhinoceros which appeared to be pregnant. The pictures taken in February are the third piece of evidence since 2007 suggesting that species might be breeding in the wild.

Despite the uncertainty about the rhino's condition, Mr Alfred said "based on the shape and size of the body and stomach it would appear that the rhino is pregnant". These pictures are the first of a wild Sumatran rhino thought to be pregnant and is very good news after the initial failure of the breeding-in-captivity programme for these critically endangered animals. The gestation for these animals can be around 15 to 16 months and on average a mother gives birth to one calf every three years.


The Sumatran rhino is the smallest species of rhinoceros and is poached for it's horns which are used in Chinese medicine. Deforestation has also become a huge factor in their decline and Mr Alfred says the area must be protected from logging activity. In the last 15 years their numbers have fallen 50% with an estimated 200 still in the wild. Conservationists have warned that this rare species could face extinction in the next 10 years.