The Javan Rhino Hides In A Volcanic Sanctuary
Deep within a single national park on the edge of a volcano, the world’s rarest rhino maintains a solitary, mud-soaked existence.
The Javan rhino is the most elusive of the five rhinoceros species, a prehistoric-looking giant covered in folds of skin that resemble plates of armor. Unlike its African cousins that roam open grasslands, this rhino is a resident of the dense, tropical rainforest. It is a browser, using its prehensile upper lip to strip leaves from saplings in the shadows. There are roughly 75 of them left, and every single one lives inside Ujung Kulon National Park on the western tip of Java, Indonesia.
Their survival is linked to the mud. Javan rhinos spend much of their day wallowing in mud holes, which helps them regulate their body temperature and protects their skin from parasites and sun damage. They are also incredibly shy. For decades, the only way biological researchers knew they existed was through footprint measurements and the occasional pile of dung. They are the only rhino species where the females lack a horn entirely, making them look even more like strange, ancient relics from another geological epoch.
Living in a single location is a dangerous gamble. Ujung Kulon is situated near the active volcano Anak Krakatau. A major eruption or a tsunami could theoretically wipe out the entire species in a single afternoon. Because of this, scientists are desperately looking for a 'second site' to establish a backup population. However, moving a two-ton animal through a dense jungle without roads is one of the most difficult engineering challenges in modern conservation.
For now, the rhinos continue their slow patrols through the ferns, blissfully unaware that they are the last of their kind on the edge of a restless mountain.
