A Javan Rhinoceros is also known as the Rhinoceros Sondaicus or the Lesser One-horned Rhino (IUCN, 2017) (Animal Corner, 2017).
It is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as there is an estimate of less than 50 of its species worldwide that is considered mature, does not have any sub-population that is greater than 50, and it is still experiencing a continuous decline in numbers. This means that if nothing is done to promote and conserve their numbers, they might be extinct in another 15 or more years!!
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The Javan Rhino can be considered as one of the rarest large mammal that can be found on the planet in this current age. They are no longer found in any other areas other than Java’s Ujung Kulon National Park and Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam (IUCN, 2017).
Physical Description (Save the Rhino International, 2017)
Source: Animal Corner
Size: They can be considered as a smaller & lighter relative of the Greater One-horned Rhino (Indian Rhino). They can grow up to 1.4 to 1.7 m in height. There is not much significant size differences between males and females.
Weight: They range from 900 to 2,300 kg.
Skin Colour: They are either have grey or grey-brown skin, are almost black when wet, with pink colouring in their folds.
Horn: They have a single horn, usually grey or brownish, which are normally shorter than 20 cm. Males have larger horns. Many females, in Ujung Kulon, have no horn or just have a small knob on the nose. Javan Rhino’s horn share the same horn structure as the hooves of horses and can be regrown if broken off. It is usually not used for combat, but for scraping of mud, pulling down of food plants, and for protection of its head and nose when forcing through dense vegetation. These horns are made of keratin, a key component of human hair & fingernails and also calcium (makes the horn stronger) and melanin (protection from sun’s UV rays) (Bradford, 2016).
Teeth: They have long, sharp, dagger-shaped lower incisor teeth which can be use in combat to inflict deep wounds.
Senses: They have a keen sense of smell and hearing, but are short-sighted.
Distinctive characteristics: They have long pointed upper lips use in the grasping of food. They also have ‘scaly’ skin & a ‘saddle’ on their neck-shoulder.
Life cycle
The Javan Rhino is speculated to be able to live up to 30-40 years, and the females are speculated to become sexually mature at about 5-6 years while males are speculated to become sexually mature at 10 years. They normally mate during the period from July to November, and are speculated to have a gestation period of about 16 months. (WWF, 2017) (Animal Corner, 2017) (Save the Rhino International, 2017).
Population
There is a estimate of only 46-66 Javan Rhinos left worldwide (IUCN, 2017).
Diet
They are rather selective in the food they eat as 40% of the quantity of food they consume comes from a few preferred plant species. The rhinos usually consumes leaves, young shoots and twigs. Most of the plants eaten by them are grown in unshaded locations, within areas where vegetation are not covered with tall trees. This is because that such unshaded places promote the growth of the type of plants which they prefer to consume. Interestingly, Javan Rhinos also do not feed in areas where the quantity of available food is low (Save the Rhino International, 2017).