Javan rhinoceros

The Javan rhino is a very rare animal.

It has one horn on its nose. Its gray skin has many folds. These folds look like armor.

The rhino uses its horn to pull down plants. It also uses it to move mud. Most rhinos live alone. They like to roll in mud to stay cool. Now, they only live in one park.

We must work hard to help them.

The Javan rhinoceros is a very rare animal.

It is one of the rarest large mammals in the world. Today, only about 74 of them live in the wild. They all live in Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia.

This rhino has gray skin with many folds. These folds make it look like it is wearing armor. It has one horn on its nose. Only the males have a horn.

The rhinos use their horns to pull down plants. They also use them to scrape mud in wallows. Wallows are muddy pits. Rolling in mud helps them stay cool. It also helps stop pests from hurting their skin.

Many things caused the rhino numbers to drop. People hunted them for their horns. They also took away the forests where rhinos live. Now, scientists study them using camera traps. These are cameras that take a photo when an animal moves. This helps keep the rhinos safe from people.

Scientists want to make sure these rhinos do not disappear forever.

The Javan rhinoceros is one of the rarest large mammals on Earth.

It is a critically endangered animal, which means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. Today, there is only one known wild population left in the world. This small group of about 74 rhinos lives in Ujung Kulon National Park. This park is located at the far western tip of Java, in Indonesia.

Because they are so rare, scientists must be very careful when they study them. Instead of following the animals, researchers use camera traps and fecal samples to learn about them.

This rhino has a very unique look. Its gray skin has many folds that create a mosaic pattern. This pattern makes the animal look like it is wearing a suit of armor.

The Javan rhino is also smaller than the Indian rhinoceros. It has a single horn on its nose, but only the males have one. The females are usually hornless as they grow into adults. These rhinos use their horns for many tasks. They use them to pull down plants to eat or to scrape mud in wallows.

Wallowing in mud helps them stay cool and protects their skin from pests.

Many different things have caused the rhino population to shrink over time. In the past, people hunted them for their horns. These horns are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. During the 1700s and 1800s, trophy hunting was also a big threat. As more people moved into these areas, the rhinos lost the forests they call home. This loss of habitat makes it hard for the species to recover. Today, the rhinos face risks from disease and a lack of genetic diversity. This happens when a population becomes too small and animals breed too closely.

History shows us how much the rhino's home has changed.

Long ago, these rhinos lived in many places. They were found in parts of China, India, and Southeast Asia. They liked living in dense rainforests, wet grasslands, and large floodplains. By the early 20th century, they had disappeared from most of these areas. They were lost from the Malay Peninsula by 1932. The last rhinos on the island of Sumatra died out during World War II. Now, the only place they can be found is the protected area in Indonesia.

The name of this animal tells us about its history. The word "rhinoceros" comes from two ancient Greek words. One word means "nose" and the other means "horn."

The specific name, *sondaicus*, comes from the Sunda region. This region includes islands like Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. Scientists have studied these animals for a long time. In 1822, a scientist named Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest gave them their scientific name. Even though they are hard to find, we know they are still trying to survive. In 2011, cameras showed two mothers with their calves in the wild.

The Javan rhinoceros (*Rhinoceros sondaicus*) is a critically endangered species within the Rhinocerotidae family. It is one of only five remaining species of rhinoceros in the world. Currently, it is considered the rarest of all rhinoceroses and one of the rarest large mammals on Earth.

Because the population is so small, the species faces a very high risk of extinction. Today, the entire wild population is concentrated in a single location. This population lives within Ujung Kulon National Park at the western tip of Java, Indonesia.

This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, providing a protected home for the remaining individuals.

Physically, the Javan rhinoceros is characterized by its unique, plate-like skin. This skin features protective folds that create a natural mosaic pattern. This pattern gives the animal an armored appearance.

It is one of the smaller rhinoceros species, reaching a body length of about 3 meters. The heaviest specimens weigh around 900 to 2,300 kilograms. Unlike many other rhino species, only the males possess a horn. This horn is usually shorter than 50 centimeters. Females typically remain hornless as they reach adulthood, though they may grow a tiny bump. The rhino uses its horn for practical tasks rather than fighting. It uses the horn to scrape mud in wallows, pull down plants for food, or clear paths through thick vegetation.

These animals are mostly solitary, meaning they prefer to live alone. They only come together for courtship or when a mother is rearing her offspring. However, they may occasionally gather near salt licks or mud wallows. Wallowing in mud is a vital behavior for maintaining a cool body temperature. It also helps protect their skin from parasites and disease.

Salt licks are also important because they provide essential nutrients. In terms of habitat, they prefer dense lowland rainforests, wet grasslands, and large floodplains. While adults have no natural predators, very small juveniles may be preyed upon by leopards, Sumatran tigers, or saltwater crocodiles.

The decline of the Javan rhinoceros is due to several historical and modern factors. One major cause is poaching for their horns. In the black market, these horns can fetch as much as US$30,000 per kilogram because they are valued in traditional Chinese medicine.

During the 1700s and 1800s, trophy hunting by European colonists also threatened the species. Additionally, massive human population growth has led to habitat loss. This loss of space makes it difficult for the population to recover. Because the remaining group is so small, they also face the risk of inbreeding depression. This is a type of genetic "bottlenecking" where a lack of genetic diversity can harm the species.

Historically, the Javan rhinoceros had a much larger range. Until the early 20th century, they lived in mainland Southeast Asia and Indochina. Their range extended into East India, Bhutan, and southern China.

Over time, their territory shrank significantly. They became extinct on the Malay Peninsula by 1932. The last rhinos on Sumatra died out during World War II. By 2011, the population in Vietnam was declared locally extinct. Scientists believe the species' range has been shrinking for at least 3,000 years as human settlements increased.

Scientific study of this species is difficult due to its rarity. Researchers rarely encounter them directly because they do not want to interfere with such a sensitive species. Instead, scientists rely on camera traps and fecal samples to study their health and behavior.

This makes the Javan rhinoceros the least-studied of all rhino species. However, progress is made through technology. In February 2011, motion-triggered cameras captured video of two adult females with their calves. This provided important proof that the rhinos are still successfully breeding in the wild.

The taxonomy and history of the species are well-documented by scientists. The name "rhinoceros" comes from the Greek words *ris*, meaning nose, and *keras*, meaning horn.

The specific name *sondaicus* refers to the Sunda region, which includes Java and Sumatra. Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest first used the scientific name in 1822. Evolutionarily, the Javan rhinoceros is most closely related to the Indian rhinoceros. Molecular evidence suggests their ancestors split from the ancestors of horses about 50 million years ago. This long history shows how much the natural world has changed for these ancient animals.