Which rhino species should be prioritized in conservation ? (poll)

That is a really interesting comment @Jungle Man, thank you for sharing it !

Personally, I think it would be very risky to translocate Javan rhino to Cat Tien National Park given the history of the extinction of the species in Indo-China there and the hunting of the last individual in 2010.

That said, I think you could be right that such a move would potentially put a greater onus / spotlight / pressure on the Vietnamese authorities responsible for the running of this protected area and probably increase armed anti-poaching patrols (but would this stop the market / economic incentives that lead to poaching in the first place?).

Afterall, the extinction of the species in Cat Tien a decade ago did lead to a lot of criticism of the park and the Vietnamese wildlife authorities in general.

However, I think that the latest restrictions on wildlife trade have yet to really sink in and feel full effect in the country and wildlife trafficking and the corruption and organized crime associated linked with this is still rife in Vietnam. Consumption of rhino horn is still very accepted socio-culturally in Vietnam and the proximity of the border with China and its porous nature also adds a greater element of danger too.

In an ideal world though I would certainly like to think that the Javan rhino might eventually be reintroduced to areas of South-East Asia where it has been hunted to extinction such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

 

Yes, thanks O.C. for this insightful and "interestinf" statement.

 

Cheeky kid ! lol , respect your elders dammit

 

Very funny lol.

 

No votes so far for the Northern White rhino.

Interesting as I was expecting there to be far more in favour of this subspecies.

 

I think the favor is there, but I don't think most people think it should be the number 1 prioritized rhino.

 

Maybe and of course I would agree but it would be interesting anyway.

It would be good if the person who voted for the black rhino would comment and explain their rationale.

 

I have been waiting for that as well.

 

Yep, should have done that indeed.

 

Thought I would share this new podcast from Mongabay in the thread which features an interview on the topic of the Sumatran rhino and its conservation.

The interview is between the journalist Jeremy Hance and conservationist Wulan Pusparini of the Wildlife conservation society who works with the species in Indonesia.


Podcast: Saving the singing rhino


Enjoy !

 

These are interesting articles which I don't think I have read before though I've read similar articles in Mongabay about the Sumatran's Rhino plight. (I was also lucky enough to see the pair at Port Lympne several times). These articles were written in 2017, but three years later and despite all the talk, still no new rhinos have been captured to join the group at Way Kambas SRC. The young female Delilah born there in 2016 is also now approaching maturity too and will need to be mated soon. Her mother Ratu does not appear to have been remated yet. Rosa has been at the sanctuary 15 years now with no breeding. She may already be approaching the stage that the third female Bina is in- reproductively useless.

 

There are a good couple of podcasts out there on the Sumatran rhino (I think I shared a few on the thread on the species) that give some indication of what is going on (or not going on in some cases) in terms of the conservation of the species and this latest one from Mongabay is pretty good.

 

I would think that while no fresh rhino have been caught, future breeding will still depend on the young female Delilah and hopefully, further calves from her mother Ratu also. I think both Bina and now Rosa are probably write-offs for breeding though I don't fully know the situation with Rosa. An unrelated male would be needed for Delilah or failing that, breeding with Harapan who is her uncle would be the most sensible course. I really hope they attempt to get her breeding soon and don't wait because there is no 'suitable' male.

 

Another article from Mongabay about continued threats to the survival of the last Sumatran rhinos.

Snare traps decline, but still pose a threat to Leuser’s Sumatran rhinos

Just one day more of the poll but the Sumatran rhino has clearly won it by a long shot.

 

I read only last week on a well know nature site on Facebook that they stated around 12 roads are planned in the Leuser reserve, I really hope this is not going to happen or this will be the final blow to them.

 

I would have strong reservations about tranferring anything to Cat tien after what happened to the only other known location of Javan Rhino outside of Java were wiped out there by poachers in a few short years, even though it was protected, I believe there were about 12 in that area, the risk there I feel would not be worth taking with so few of them left at this time!

 

I would have to say I share your concerns about this, roads through tracts of tropical rainforest are usually the kiss of death for wildlife / biodiversity.

For the Sumatran rhino with the price tag it has on its head / horn it could be the coup de grace for it in Leuser.

 

Once again, agree with you on this, at least in terms of the forseeable future.

Wouldn't it be nice to one day reintroduce the rhino there if the persistent threats were to be mitigated ?

 

Yes I do agree, IF the poaching threat was removed like it appears to have been done in the Javan rhinos last home. But the numbers are so low now it may not be worth the risk of losing any in the transfer, also as mentioned if roads are pushed through in the Sumatran rhinos last strong hold they are gone foe sure.