wild places | wild happenings | wild news
make a difference for our wild places

home | links | search the site
  all articles latest | past | articles by topics | search wildnews
wild news on wildsingapore
  Antara 13 Dec 06
Rhino poaching activities in Lampung significantly drops

Banda Lampung, (ANTARA News) - Poaching activities at the Way Kambas National Park (TNKW) and the South Bukit Barisan National Park (TNBBS) have reduced significantly since the operation of Rhino Protection Unit (RPU) in the parks, an RPU officer said here on Tuesday (12/12).

RPU in cooperation with other parties gave special protection to Rhinoceros living in the national parks, Andi added.

However, Sumatra Rhino Sanctuary`s Site Manager at TNWK Vet. Marcellinus Adi told ANTARA that wild rhinoceros in the Way Kambas National Park were still prone to poaching.

Poachers were still operating in Lampung forests to try to get rhinoceros and other endangered animals, he said.

The results of a survey show that thanks to the presence of RPU officers in Lampung, including TNKW and TNBBS in West Lampung, Tanggamus as well as in South Bengkulu, poaching threats have decreased significantly.

Environmentalists in West Lampung confirmed that in the past few years they hardly found dead bodies of wild rhinoceros in the area. This was contrary to the previous years when they often found remains of rhinoceros and other protected animals such as Sumatra elephants which had been killed by poachers.

However, an unconfirmed report said that a dead rhino was spotted around the Way Kambas National Park few days ago. "But, we have not received definite information on the report," Marcellinus Adi said.

He said the Sumatra Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) had four rhinoceros, one male and three females in the sanctuary area, and they were all still intact up to now.

There are five species of rhinos in the world, two African and three Asian. The African species are the white and black rhinos. Both species have two horns. Asian rhinos include the Indian and the Javan, each with one horn, and the Sumatran, which has two horns. The world population of the Sumatran rhino or Dicerorhinus sumatrensis may be below 300 individuals in the wild, and so far captive breeding attempts have been unsuccessful.

The species is currently found in peninsular Malaysia, and on the islands of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia) and Sumatra (Indonesia). Populations of this hairy rhino are small and widely scattered, its forest habitat is dwindling fast, and the threat of poaching is ever-present.

Rhinos rank among the most endangered species on Earth. Valued for their horns, they face a serious threat from poaching. Some cultures believe that the powdered rhino horn will cure everything from fever to food poisoning and will enhance sexual stamina.(*)
links
Related articles on Global biodiversity
about the site | email ria
  News articles are reproduced for non-profit educational purposes.
 

website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com