The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has conducted a survey in the forests of southern Vietnam to determine the population of Javan rhino, one of only two populations of the species left on the planet. The survey results will form the basis for an urgent rhino conservation plan.
After just five days surveying the area, seven rhino dung samples have been found. These specimens have given the project team confidence that they can gather all the scientific information needed.
Specially trained sniffer dogs from the United States have been employed to detect rhino dung, samples of which will be sent to Queen’s University in Canada where DNA analysis will establish the sex and number of animals. Samples will also be sent to the Zoological Society of London for hormone analysis to determine the animals’ breeding capability and stress levels.
Sarah Brook, leader of the WWF rhino project, said “The Javan rhino is possibly the rarest large mammal on Earth. This survey aims to reveal the secrets of Vietnam ’s little known Javan rhino population in an effort to save it from extinction.”
The Country Director for WWF Vietnam, Tran Minh Hien, said “The rhino is a rare animal unique to this country, and preserving the rhino is a flagship for conservation efforts in Vietnam .”
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, the WWF in collaboration with the Asian Rhino project is supporting local communities to join the Forest Protection Department and national parks’ staff.