Posted on July, 15 1999
So far, a total of seven pictures have been taken of the rhinos in an on-going survey executed by the WWF-Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project. So little is known about these precious animals that it is not clear whether the photos are of a male or female. One photo shows a rhino with a small horn - a characteristic of female Javan rhinos. Another photo has an animal with an open mouth showing large incisors - a characteristic of male Javan rhinos.
"I have been working in Cat Tien National Park for 4 years and all I have ever seen are footprints and droppings," said Mr. Tran Van Mui, the Director of the Park. "This is one of the most exciting events in the natural history of Vietnam, and this exercise may even prove that there are more than 8 rhinos surviving in the area."
Though the local people have occasionally spotted the animals, scientists have never seen a live Javan rhino in Vietnam. (2) They are so shy and elusive that some scientists considered them extinct in Vietnam until 1988 when a hunter was arrested trying to sell the skin and horn of one.
"We hope that as the project continues we will get more photos," said Mr. Mui. "This will enable us to better determine sex and distribution of the rhinos and their potential for survival." Most of the knowledge that scientists currently have about these rhinos comes from the study of footprints, droppings, and reports of sightings and other information from the local people.
Local people, who have always maintained the existence of the rhinos, suggested the best locations for the 10 automatic cameras that took the pictures. (3) The cameras are triggered when an object interrupts a laser-beam connected to the camera. The seven photos were taken on May 11, 17, 19 and 25, two weeks after the cameras were installed.
The photo-trapping project is part of the $6 million dollar WWF-Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project, funded by the Governments of Vietnam and the Netherlands. (4) The Cat Tien National Park is located in southern Vietnam, about 150 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City. It covers an area of about 75,000 hectares. The rhino sanctuary was created by the government in 1992 and was merged with the Cat Tien Park in December 1998. (5)
Humans pose the biggest threat to the survival of the Asian rhinos. "Though the last report of a hunted rhino was in 1989, the loss of just one rhino could wipe out the whole population if it happens to be the only breeding male for instance," said Mr. Gert Polet, Chief Technical Advisor of the WWF-Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project. "Also, the continued conversion of forest land into cashew nut plantations within the protected area is of great concern. We look forward to such joint initiatives as this project to contribute to the survival of these rare animals," he added. (6)
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Javan, or lesser one-horned rhinos, originally ranged from Eastern India, to Vietnam and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. The Javan Rhinoceros species is divided in two sub-species: Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus (50 to 60 individuals) in Ujong Kulon National Park, Java - Indonesia and Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus (5 to 8 individuals) in Cat Tien National Park - Vietnam.
2. The terrain where the rhinos live has very steep hills, covered with thick bamboo and rattan stands, making it hard to see the animals. Local people however see them sporadically, especially when they come out of the forest to take essential salts at a saltlick located near a village. The footprints of the rhino in Cat Tien are much smaller than those of its counterpart in Ujong Kulon. Scientists regard the two sub-species as being so different from each other that they can not cross breed.
3. For this exercise the WWF-Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project hired Mr. Mike Baltzer, a photo-trapping expert from the UK. He trained a team of Cat Tien National Park staff, led by Mr. Bui Huu Manh. This team is continuing with the photo trapping.
4. The WWF-Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project is a joint initiative of the WWF-Indochina Programme and the Vietnam Government Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, funded by the Governments of Vietnam and The Netherlands. Implementation began in May 1998, and the project has a lifespan of 5 years. The project assists the Vietnamese Authorities to improve the management and protection of the Cat Tien National Park by executing research, drawing-up management plans, stimulating (eco) tourism and providing infrastructure such as communications, guard stations and transportation as well as training of Park staff in various fields. Simultaneously the Project assists people living near the Park in seeking alternative livelihood sources in order to lessen their dependency on the resources of the National Park.
5. The area in which the rhinos occur received protected status in 1992. It was integrated into Cat Tien National Park in December 1998. Cat Tien National Park is located in three provinces: Dong Nai Province, Lam Dong Province and Binh Phuoc Province. The three Provinces managed the three protected areas separately until December 1998, when it came under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a National Park.
6. The rhino range is under heavy pressure from encroaching farmers. Traditional slash-and-burn farming systems have been modified so that rather than allowing forests to re-generate, cashew nut is being planted. This poses a serious threat to the continued existence of the Javan rhino in Vietnam.
For further information:
In Vietnam:
Ms. Nguyen Diep Hoa, email: hoa@wwfvn.org.vn
telephone in Hanoi: ++84-4-8220640
Mr. Gert Polet: wwfhcmc@fmail.vnn.vn
telephone in Ho Chi Minh City: ++84-8-8203995,
telephone in Cat Tien NP: ++84-61-856449
In Switzerland:
Elizabeth Kemf: tel: +41 22 364 9424
email: ekemf@wwfnet.org
Kyla Evans: tel: +41 22 364 9554
email: kevans@wwfnet.org
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