For elusive Javan rhinos, camera traps are a benevolent Big Brother

[Judi Lynn]

by Nuswantoro on 3 December 2018 | Adapted by Basten Gokkon

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — “This is the world’s first ever video of a wild Javan rhino couple mating,” Mamat Rahmat declared in a presentation to veterinary undergrads in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta on Oct. 20.

The 10-minute clip was captured on Nov. 5, 2017, from one of the many camera traps set up in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park, the last place on Earth where critically endangered Javan rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus) are found.

In it, a male rhino known as Pajero mounts a female known as Palasari in a mud wallow frequented by the park’s rhinos. Palasari, who already has an offspring, is now pregnant again, according to Mamat, the head of the park. (Javan rhinos have a gestation period of 16 to 19 months, so if the birth is successful, the new baby should be born in the first half of 2019.)



The clip is one of the many gems in the growing treasure trove of video and photos from Ujung Kulon, a collection painstakingly set up, monitored and sifted through by conservationists working with park officials and the local community.

More:
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/for-elusive-javan-rhinos-camera-traps-are-a-benevolent-big-brother/