Antara 4 Jul 10;
Pandeglang, W Java (ANTARA News) - A Java rhinoceros conservation center is being set up at Gunung Honje in the Ujung Kulon National Park (TNUK), Banten, at a cost of Rp6 billion to be provided by two non-governmental orgnizations, the park`s manager said.
"All the costs to build the center will be borne by the International Rhinoceros Foundation (IRF) and the Indonesian Rhinoceros Foundation (YABI)," TNUK chief Agus Priambudi said here Saturday.
If everything went well, the center and its 4.000-hectare conservation area would be ready in 2010 when people would also be able to visit the facility to observe the Java Rhinoceros in its natural habitat, he said.
At present there were about 50 one-horn rhinos in the park but they did not breed easily and most of them were male. So far, the park management had not encountered any illegal rhino hunting case while all rhinos found dead over the years had died of natural causes or disease, he said.
The big animals that can reach the age of 40 years old can only be found in Ujung Kulon although 10 of the same species, mostly female, are reported to be also living in Vietnam.
The park management was often counting the existing rhino population in cooperation with such organizations as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Worldwide Fund for Nature.
A total of 30 surveillance cameras had been installed at many points across the animals` habitat to observe their condition and movements.
Agus also explained that there are only five rhino species in the world, namely the black rhinoceros (diceros bicornis), white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), Indian rhinoceros (rhinoceros unicornis), Sumatran rhinoceros (dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus).
(Uu.A050/HAJM/H-YH/P03)
