What will happen to the Javan Rhino? Will it go extinct? Will they set up a Javan rhino breeding centre? Will they capture all Javan rhinos and place them in captivity? Which zoos could potentially keep them? Will they reintroduce rhinos to other are? Where?
On its current trajectory it looks like the Javan rhino will probably go extinct. Functionally it already may be as there may not be enough reproduction going on to sustain the population. Of course someone could try an emergency captive breeding program, but there is no modern husbandry knowledge for the species as it has not been kept in captivity for a century. Even with modern husbandry and reproductive knowledge trying to save rhinos through captive breeding is extremely difficult, as demonstrated by the failed attempts to start sustained captive breeding for Sumatran rhinos and northern white rhinos.
According to the WWF, the javan rhinoceros can indeed be saved. They even claim to know how: getting rid of the invasive arenga palm to give their current refuge a larger carrying capacity, and trying to get a few rhino's to another protected area to spread the risks. Personally, I don't think it is hopeless, but saving them is not going to be easy. A positive thing is that breeding has been taken place in recent years and although the population is vulnerable to inbreeding, they still manage to reproduce. The best chance for this species is, in my opinion, a well-managed wild population, and taking them into zoos will probably do more harm than good.
The Javan and Sumatran rhinos, as much as I would hate to say it, are probably doomed. Southern white rhinos and maybe Indian rhinos will probably survive, albeit only in protected zoos and safari parks.
