Comments on: Javan Rhinos Confirmed in Vietnam!

By: Rhishja Larson

Rhishja Larson — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:50:41 +0000

Hi Dustin -

I wish more people had your enthusiasm and concern. A major problem facing rhino (and other species) conservation is … lack of funding.

Rhishja

By: Dustin Munro

Dustin Munro — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:21:19 +0000

How to establish new “INDONESIAN JAVAN RHINO” populations-Do what has been done in Africa!To my understanding,this has been done in some cases and very successfully.Take juveniles that are eating solid food for relocation by livetrapping the calf and its mother.Do DNA tests,measure and weigh both,then take the calf into captivity and release the mother back where she was captured.For mothers with a calf that cannot yet eat solid food,keep it and it’s mother in captivity until the calf can eat solid food,then release the mother back into the wild.When the calves were taken from the mothers was done with African rhinos,the females were stimulated to mate again by not having a calf therefore speeding up the growth of the rhino population.To my understanding,rhinos usually only mate after the calf has left its mother at about 2 years old-so lets say the mother of a removed calf at approximately 6 months will then mate again.Rhino calves in Java can also fall prey to large pythons,crocodiles,and leopards.Keeping them in captivity will eliminate that mortality risk-that may be part of what is hindering the growth of the population.Establish not one but 2 new “Indonesian Javan Rhino” populations with captured and relocated calves-one population possibly a captive one in a semi wild environment in Singapore which would practically eliminate the possibility of poaching and a second population being captive in a fenced in area of a well protected reserve in Indonesia with only wildcaught calves in captivity.Keep all calves in captivity-(the fenced in area as has been done with great success in Africa) until they mature and breed.Then as they breed,keep the calves in captivity and only release the adults.

By: Rhishja Larson

Rhishja Larson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:14:06 +0000

Dustin -

Yes, it would be absolutely wonderful if additional Javan rhino populations could be located somehow …

- Rhishja

By: Dustin Munro

Dustin Munro — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:21:35 +0000

Lets do an extensive search for more asian mainland populations of Javan Rhinos in areas where they are rumored to exist like in Cambodia and possibly Laos,Thailand, Southern China.If more are located, exchange some individuals between the populations to freshen the genepool and breed them to boost the populations and restock them into areas that once had them.A great way to find any other possible populations is to do an INFARED SURVEY using infared cameras mounted on airplanes to fly over the dense jungles to find them and possibly other rare and or thought to be extinct species(like the kouprey)etc.