Indonesia has announced sightings of two Javan rhino calves this year in Ujung Kulon National Park, the last place on Earth where the critically endangered species is found. The new additions bring the estimated population of the species to 73; conservationists have recorded at least one new calf a year joining the population since 2012. Despite the stable population growth, the rhinos remain under the looming threat of disease, natural disaster, and a resurgence in encroachment. JAKARTA — Conservation officials in Indonesia have reported a sighting of two new Javan rhinoceros calves, boosting hopes for stable population growth of the nearly extinct species. The calves, a female and a male, were spotted on different occasions in March by camera traps in Ujung Kulon National Park on the western tip of Indonesia’s Java Island, the Javan rhino’s ( Rhinoceros sondaicus ) last habitat on Earth. The addition of the two calves brings the species’ total population to 73 individuals, comprising 40 males and 33 females. There has been at least one newborn Javan rhino calf recorded every year since 2012, according to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). “The steady natural birth of the Javan rhinoceros in Ujung Kulon National Park […]
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