Javan Rhinoceros - Yvonne Rennesia Gulo

Rhinoceros is just a species that lives in water or even in the mud. But for Javan Rhinoceros, there is something special. Because of this specialty, Javan Rhinoceros became extinct. Javan Rhinoceros is one of the five siblings in the Rhino Family. The Rhino Family has the Sumatran Rhino, Sumatran Rhino, Black Rhino, White Rhino, and Greater One-Horned Rhino. Currently, there are about 75 Javan rhinos surviving in just one country, Indonesia. Javan rhinos are now found only in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park, where the population appears to have stabilized, largely because they are guarded by Rhino Protection Units. There has been no poaching in Ujung Kulon in more than 20 years.

What makes Javan Rhinos special is a dusky grey colour and has a single horn of up to about 10 inches (ca. 25 cm). Its skin has a number of loose folds, giving the appearance of armour plating. The Javan rhino is very similar in appearance to the closely-related greater one-horned rhinoceros but has a much smaller head and less apparent skin folds. Javan rhinos probably live to 30-40 years. Javan rhinos are solitary in nature and are rarely seen. Females do not appear to have prominent horns. Also, these rhinos have 28 teeth (1 incisor, 3 premolars and 3 molars in each half of the jaws).

They are extremely vulnerable to extinction due to catastrophes, habitat loss, diseases, poaching, and potential inbreeding. These days, people are trying to kill them because their honk was really expensive, and it was just their special creature that God gave. Javan rhinos and greater one-horned rhinos have one. Aside from being used as medicine, the rhino horn is considered a status symbol. They shared it within social and professional networks to demonstrate their wealth and strengthen business relationships. Gifting whole rhino horns was additionally used as a way to get favours from those in power.