Rare Javan Rhinos captured on video in Indonesia

Rare Javan Rhinos captured on video in Indonesia

2011-03-01 10:59:14 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Two rare Javan rhinoceroses were captured on video by the World Wildlife Fund Indonesia (WWF-I) in a national park located in the western region of Indonesia's Java island, officials said Monday.

The WWF-I said the video was captured during sometime between November and December 2010 in the Ujung Kulon National Park, which is located in Banten Province in west Java.

Two videos recorded a mother and its male calf approaching the camera in November, and in December, a second female calf is shown accompanied by its mother during a 30-second video.

Javan rhinos are one of the most endangered species in the world, and there are only two known small populations in the wild: the 40 to 50 rhinos in Ujung Kulon and no more than 8 in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam. In addition, no zoos have any Javan rhinos in captivity.

Park authorities had been discouraged by the discovery of three rhino deaths last year, but Ujung Kulon National Park chief Agus Priambudi said the recent videos offer substantial information about their population, and prove that they are breeding within the park.

According to park officials, at least 14 births have been documented.

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