JAKARTA, Sept 13 (Askume) – Indonesia has welcomed the birth of a Javan rhinoceros calf, the newest member of one of the world’s most endangered species, the Environment and Forestry Ministry said.
On Thursday, the department released footage captured in May by cameras installed in Ujung Kulon National Park, a protected area on the western tip of Java. The footage shows the baby girl, named Iris, walking with her mother.
IRIS is the mother’s first calf and is expected to be 3 to 5 months old, the department said.
According to the International Rhino Foundation, there are only about 80 Javan rhinos in the world, all of which are found in Indonesia.
A female calf was also discovered last year and is believed to have been born in February 2023 .
The Javan rhinoceros, known for its one horn, is found in northeastern India and throughout Southeast Asia. They are now the most endangered of the five rhino species, mainly due to poaching.
Ujung Kulon director Ardi Andono said IRIS’s findings “do not mean that the environment in which rhinos breed will not be subject to many disturbances,” adding that threats from poaching and natural disasters remain.
