Javan Rhinoceros

IUCN

Scientific Name：Rhinoceros sondaicus

Basic Information

Scientific classification

name：Javan Rhinoceros
Scientific Name：Rhinoceros sondaicus
Outline：Ungulata
Family：Rhinocerotidae Rhinoceros

Vital signs

length：Head–body ~3.0–3.2 m; shoulder height 1.4–1.7 m
Weight：900–2,300 kg
lifetime：30–45 years (wild estimate)

Feature

One of the rarest large mammals; single wild population; secretive; wallowing behavior.

Distribution and Habitat

Ujung Kulon NP, Java—dense lowland rainforest, riverine thickets and coastal plains.

Appearance

Single short horn (females very short or hornless); grey‑brown skin with shallow folds; smaller than the Indian rhino.

Details

Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is among the rarest large mammals on Earth. Once widespread across Southeast Asia, it now survives as a single wild population in Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia, and is listed as Critically Endangered (CR). The species favors dense lowland rainforest and riverine thickets, uses wallows for thermoregulation and parasite control, and is extremely sensitive to disturbance.

Ecology

Browser on shoots, vines, leaves and fruits near forest edges and valley floors. Adults are mostly solitary with limited home‑range overlap.

Reproduction

Females mature at ~4–7 years; gestation 15–16 months; single calf; inter‑calving interval often >3 years, slower under stress.

Threats & Conservation

Single, very small population exposed to disease, volcanic/tsunami events and inbreeding risks.
Habitat pressures including invasive plants (e.g., Arenga palm) reducing forage quality.
Poaching risk requires long‑term, high‑intensity law enforcement.

Priorities: strict protection and intelligence‑led patrols, invasive plant control, maintaining disturbance‑free core zones, and preparing a second wild population with genetic and disease management.