Javan Rhinos Not Safe from Poachers
Recent testimony by arrested illegal poachers in #Indonesia finds 26 of the estimated remaining 72 living Javan #Rhinos were slaughtered for their horns over the past five years. In the so-called “protected” Ujung Kulon National Park in the western tip of the island of Java. This must spark a national emergency to protect these beings before they are gone for good! End the wildlife trade and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Shocking news: 26 of the 72 remaining #Javan #Rhinos 🦏 were poached recently from Ujung Kulon National Park, #Indonesia making their protection even more serious. End disgusting #poaching! Help them survive when you #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-91C
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterTestimony by arrested #poachers in #Indonesia finds 26 of the remaining 72 #Javan #Rhino 🦏 are still alive 😭 We must scramble to protect these beautiful and unique #animals urgently! #Boycottmeat #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-91C
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWritten by Jason Gilchrist, Lecturer in the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
26 of the estimated maximum 72 Javan rhino have been poached by two gangs in the last five years. Absolutely shocking news!
I am an ecologist, and I have been lucky to work with white rhino in Africa. This work has involved capturing rhino, dehorning and moving them – methods used to try to save rhino from poachers.
Poachers target these large, plant-eating mammals for the illegal trade in rhino horn, fuelled by demand from Asia, principally China and Vietnam, where the horn is perceived as a status symbol, a cure for illness and an aphrodisiac.
Poaching is the main threat to the African rhino, but it was not considered a risk for the critically endangered Javan rhino in Asia. So rare and difficult to detect are Javan rhino, which live in dense jungle, that it was thought poachers would not be able to find them.
However, recent testimony from poachers arrested in Indonesia has indicated that 26 of the estimated maximum 72 Javan rhino have been poached by two gangs in the last five years. That is shocking news.
This revelation turns a worrying situation into an emergency – and demands increased efforts to save the Javan rhino from extinction.
How many Javan rhino are there?
Indonesian police arrested 13 members of two poaching gangs who revealed the otherwise undetected loss of rhino from Ujung Kulon National Park, the home of the world’s only remaining Javan rhino population, on the island of Java in the Indonesian archipelago.
Javan rhino were once widespread in southeast Asia. The last one outside of Indonesia was poached in Vietnam in 2010.
The actual number of rhino killed by the poaching gangs cannot be verified. It’s possible that sources within the government or conservation teams are passing information to poachers.
A Dutch hunter with a slain Javan rhino in Ujung Kulon, 1895. Charles te Mechelen/Rhino Resource CenterIndonesia’s forests are home to 10-15% of the planet’s plants, birds and mammals. While Indonesia harbours the greatest amount of rainforest in Asia, over 74 million hectares (three times the land area of the UK) have been lost in the past 50 years to palm oil extraction and paper mills.
Indonesia’s forest cover has fallen from 80% to less than 50% amid one of the fastest deforestation rates in the world. Pandeglang, the Javan region containing the national park, has lost nearly 10% of its rainforest since 2000.
All scientists know about the abundance of Javan rhino is gleaned from camera traps, remote cameras that are triggered to take photos by passing animals. The last government population estimate was released in 2019.
A report published in 2023 criticised this estimate because 18 of the rhino counted had not been detected by a camera trap for three years, and three of the rhino counted were known to be dead.
Saving the Javan rhino from extinction
Indonesian conservationists have focused on habitat loss as the leading threat to Javan rhino, as it deprives the species of breeding opportunities. Scattered across separate fragments of jungle, rhino are unlikely to find each other during the brief window when females are receptive to mating.
There is also evidence of inbreeding, exacerbated by there being more adult males than females. Some biologists have called for Javan rhino to be taken into captive breeding programmes.
With just 46 Javan rhino in the wild (perhaps even less), poaching could wipe out the species or reduce it to such a low number that low breeding success deals the final blow.
Ujung Kulon National Park is located on the western tip of Java. Achmad Soerio Hutomo/Flickr, CC BYSo, what now? It is likely that the Javan rhino cannot afford to lose any further animals to poaching, and vital that further poaching is prevented. The Indonesian government has now increased security in the national park with police and military combining forces.
Allowing forests to naturally regenerate and planting corridors of trees between jungle patches will help the remaining rhino find suitable habitat and each other. Conservationists have also called for cutting down trees in some locations to allow fresh, young trees with more accessible leaves to grow.
Research has also shown that removing an invasive palm boosts the availability of rhino food plants. Livestock must be excluded from the park too, as domestic cattle can transmit disease.
As far back as 1986, conservationists called for some rhino to be moved out of the park (perhaps to the neighbouring island of Sumatra). Splitting an already limited population is risky, but not establishing the safety net of at least one other population elsewhere is riskier still.
What if a tsunami hit the park? And the park may already be near capacity, as it is estimated to be able to support only 68 rhino.
Bringing Javan rhino into captivity and using reproductive technologies on stored eggs and sperm (techniques in development for the more common white rhino) may also need to be considered. Although, it is still possible that captive breeding may not be required: camera traps have photographed newborn Javan rhino, as well as adults, as recently as March 2024.
A female Javan rhino calf with its mother, photographed by a camera trap in Ujung Kulon national park. Indonesian Ministry of Environment and ForestryScientists don’t know much about Javan rhino biology. There have been few studies of wild rhino and only 22 have ever been kept in captivity, the last of which died more than 100 years ago. More research is needed to understand as much as possible about Javan rhino ecology and reproduction – in the wild and from museum specimens.
More effective habitat and wildlife conservation across Indonesia will benefit other Indonesian species, including the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, all three species of orangutan, and the Sumatran rhino (estimated population of 24-47, making it the world’s most endangered rhino).
If effective conservation action is not taken now, the remaining Javan rhino population will go the same way as that in Vietnam.
Written by Jason Gilchrist, Lecturer in the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGFrill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum
Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense
Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata
Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius
Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 3,174 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #animals #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #Indonesia #Javan #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #poachers #poaching #Rhino #Rhinos
Shocking news: 26 of the 72 remaining #Javan #Rhinos 🦏 were poached recently from Ujung Kulon National Park, #Indonesia making their protection even more serious. End disgusting #poaching! Help them survive when you #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect
11 #NASA #Astrophysics #Missions face risk of cancellation : Medium
#Planet #Earth Is #Conscious—And Its ‘#Mind’ Is Shaping the Fate of All #Life, #Controversial Theory Suggests : Pop Mech
#Javan #Rhino numbers plunge; #Sumatran rhinos remain near #Extinction: Misc
Check our latest #KnowledgeLinks
Silvery Gibbon Hylobates moloch
Silvery Gibbon Hylobates moloch
Red List Status: Endangered
Locations: Indonesia (island of Java, including provinces of Banten, West Java, and Central Java as far east as the Dieng Mountains)
The Silvery #Gibbon 🩶🐒🐵 of genus ‘Hylobates’ meaning ‘Forest Walker’. They sing to each other in ‘local’ accents and do thrilling acrobatics 🤸♂️ They are #endangered, help them to survive! #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🔥⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/06/silvery-gibbon-hylobates-moloch/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterThe Silvery Gibbon belongs to the genus Hylobates. The word Hylobates means ‘Forest Walker’ in Greek. The gibbons in this genus are known for the white circle of fur around their faces. They are known to communicate in species-specific song when defining territory or attracting mates. They sing in regional accents to each other, have long swinging arms, inquisitive natures and superior acrobatic skills, they spend most of their lives high up in the tree-tops.
Appearance & Behaviour
Silvery gibbons are small apes, their bodies draped in long, silvery-grey fur with a dark grey or black cap on their heads and a distinctive fringe of white or light grey around their dark faces. Adults typically weigh around 6 kilograms, with males and females similar in size. Their arms are exceptionally long, spanning twice their body length, allowing them to brachiate—swing hand over hand—through the treetops with remarkable speed and agility. Unlike many other gibbon species, silvery gibbons do not sing duets; instead, it is the females who dominate the morning chorus with loud, haunting calls that echo through the forest. These family groups, usually consisting of a monogamous pair and their offspring, move together through the canopy, their movements fluid and almost effortless.
Threats
Palm oil and agricultural deforestation
Silvery gibbons face severe pressure from the ongoing loss of their forest habitat. In Java, particularly in Banten Province, deforestation is accelerating at a high rate. The conversion of forests to agricultural land, including palm oil plantations and other crops, leaves behind only isolated fragments of habitat. This fragmentation forces gibbons into ever-smaller territories, increasing stress and competition for resources. The once-continuous canopy that silvery gibbons depend on is being replaced by agricultural fields, making survival increasingly difficult for these arboreal primates.
Illegal pet trade, illegal poaching and hunting
Silvery gibbons are targeted by hunters for both meat and the illegal pet trade. Poachers often kill adult gibbons to capture infants, who are then sold as pets in markets throughout Indonesia. This practice not only removes individuals from the wild but also disrupts family groups and weakens the social structure essential for gibbon survival. The illegal pet trade remains a persistent and devastating threat, driven by demand for exotic animals and compounded by the ongoing destruction of their natural habitat.
Timber logging and habitat fragmentation
Logging operations further degrade and fragment the remaining forest habitat of silvery gibbons. Roads and clearings cut through the forest, severing the vital canopy connections that gibbons rely on for movement and social interaction. Fragmentation isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and making them more vulnerable to disease and environmental change. In many areas, only small, isolated groups of gibbons remain, cut off from neighbouring populations by cleared land.
Climate change
Shifting rainfall patterns and rising temperatures threaten to alter the delicate balance of Indonesia’s forests. Changes in fruiting and flowering times can disrupt the silvery gibbon’s food supply, while extreme weather events destroy habitat and isolate populations even further. The silvery gibbon’s world is becoming hotter, drier, and less predictable, with the forests they depend on shrinking year by year.
Diet
Silvery gibbons are primarily frugivorous, with fruit making up about 61% of their diet and leaves accounting for another 38%. They also consume flowers and, to a lesser extent, insects. The silvery gibbon’s foraging is a daily journey through the treetops, as they search for scattered fruit-bearing trees. Their home ranges average between 17 and 60 hectares, and several families may share overlapping territories, especially where fruit is abundant. The rhythm of their feeding is woven into the life of the forest, as they play a vital role in seed dispersal and the regeneration of their ecosystem.
Mating & Reproduction
The Silvery Gibbon is considered Endangered based on a suspected population reduction of 50% or more over the course of three generations (2001-2015, 2016-2030, 2031-2045). This ongoing decline is due to the combined threats of forest habitat loss and hunting for subsistence purposes, in addition to supplying the pet trade.
IUCN Red List
Silvery gibbons are monogamous, forming lifelong pair bonds. There is no set breeding season, and females give birth to a single infant after a gestation period of about seven to eight months. The mother carries her baby close for the first year, nursing and protecting it as the family group moves through the forest. Weaning occurs at around 18 months, and offspring remain with their parents until they reach maturity at about eight years of age, when they leave to form their own families. The family unit is tight-knit, with both parents sharing in the care of their young and strong emotional bonds that are essential for survival in a changing world.
Geographic Range
Silvery gibbons are endemic to the island of Java, Indonesia, with their range primarily in the (still forested) western regions of Banten and West Java, and extending into parts of Central Java as far east as the Dieng Mountains. They inhabit lowland and lower montane rainforests up to 2,400 metres above sea level, though they are most commonly found below 1,600 metres. Their historical range has contracted dramatically due to deforestation and human infrastructure development, and they are now restricted to fragmented forest patches. The sounds of the silvery gibbon—once a common feature of Java’s forests—are now tragically heard in very few places.
FAQs
How many silvery gibbons are left?
Estimates suggest that fewer than 2,500 mature silvery gibbons remain in the wild, with populations continuing to decline due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and the illegal pet trade. In some areas, fewer than 2,000 individuals are considered genetically viable for the continuation of the species. The silvery gibbon’s future is precarious, and urgent action is needed to prevent their extinction.
What are the characteristics of the silvery gibbon?
Silvery gibbons are small, slender apes with long, silvery-grey fur and a dark cap on their heads. They lack a tail, and their arms are exceptionally long—up to twice their body length—allowing them to brachiate through the forest canopy with remarkable speed and grace. Adults typically weigh between 6 and 8 kilograms, with males slightly larger than females. Silvery gibbons are strictly arboreal, rarely descending to the forest floor, and live in small, monogamous family groups. The female leads the morning chorus with haunting, resonant calls that can be heard for up to a kilometre.
Is a silvery gibbon a monkey?
A silvery gibbon is not a monkey, but a lesser ape. The primary difference between a lesser ape (like a gibbon) and a monkey is that apes, including lesser apes, do not have tails, while most monkeys do. Additionally, apes are generally larger and have broader chests, while monkeys tend to be smaller and have narrower chests. Apes also have shoulder joints that allow for brachiation—swinging through trees—and some species exhibit higher intelligence and tool use. Lesser apes, such as gibbons and siamangs, are smaller than the great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and humans) but share these key anatomical and behavioural traits. In contrast, most monkeys have tails, which they use for balance, and are more adapted to running along branches rather than swinging through the trees. While monkeys are intelligent, apes generally exhibit more complex cognitive abilities and social behaviours.
Why will the silvery gibbon become extinct in the next decade?
The silvery gibbon faces multiple, compounding threats that make extinction within the next decade a real possibility. Habitat loss due to deforestation has reduced their forest home to less than 4% of its original extent. Fragmentation isolates populations, making them more vulnerable to disease and genetic decline. The illegal pet trade continues to remove individuals from the wild, and climate change is altering the availability of food and water. Without urgent, large-scale intervention, the silvery gibbon is likely to disappear from much of its remaining range.
Are gibbon monkeys aggressive?
Gibbons, including silvery gibbons, are not monkeys but lesser apes. In their natural environment, silvery gibbons are highly territorial and will defend their home range with vocalisations and, if necessary, physical displays. Males and females both play a role in defending their territory, with the female’s morning calls and the male’s aggressive responses to intruders. Within the family group, silvery gibbons are generally peaceful and nurturing, with strong social bonds between parents and offspring. In captivity, gibbons can show aggression during introductions or when resources are contested, but this is not typical of their behaviour in the wild.
Are silvery gibbons Endangered?
Yes, the silvery gibbon is classified as Endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species. Their population is estimated at fewer than 2,500 mature individuals and is declining due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and the illegal pet trade. The silvery gibbon’s survival is at risk, and their future depends on the protection of remaining forest habitat and the reduction of human-induced threats
Take Action!
Use your wallet as a weapon and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife. Support indigenous-led conservation and agroecology. Reject products linked to deforestation, mining, and the illegal wildlife trade. Adopt a #vegan lifestyle and #BoycottMeat to protect wild and farmed animals alike. Every choice matters—stand with the silvery gibbon.
Further Information
Kim, S., Lappan, S., & Choe, J. C. (2010). Diet and ranging behavior of the endangered Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) in a submontane tropical rainforest. American Journal of Primatology, 72(10), 991–1000. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20893
Nijman, V. 2020. Hylobates moloch. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T10550A17966495. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T10550A17966495.en. Downloaded on 06 February 2021.
Reyes, K. R., Patel, U. A., Nunn, C. L., & Samson, D. R. (2021). Gibbon sleep quantified: The influence of lunar phase and meteorological variables on activity in Hylobates moloch and Hylobates pileatus. Primates, 62, 749–759. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34052907/
Silvery Gibbon Hylobates moloch
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Ape #apes #BanPrimateExperiments #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #ForgottenAnimals #forgottenanimal #frugivore #Gibbon #Gibbons #illegalPetTrade #Indonesia #Indonesian #infrastructure #Java #Javan #Mammal #palmoil #Primate #primates #roads #SilveryGibbonHylobatesMoloch #timber #vegan #wildlifetrade
श्री कृष्ण कुमार बेदीने ‘ऑपरेशन सिंदूर’अमर शहीदों को किया नमन #shahid #javan #operationsindoor #KrishanBedi
'ऑपरेशन सिंदूर'अमर शहीदों #shahid #javan #operationsindoor #KrishanBedi - कैबिनेट मंत्री श्री कृष्ण कुमार बेदी ने 'ऑपरेशन सिंदूर' की कामयाबी पर बोलते हुए कहा कि देश की पूरी सैन्य शक्ति और उसके शौर्य को हम सलाम करते हैं और आतंकवाद पर कड़ा प्रहार करने वाले अमर शहीदों को नमन करते हैं। 'ऑपरेशन सिंदूर'अमर शहीदों उन्होंने बताया कि शहीदों के सम्मान एवं पीड़ित परिजनों को…
https://www.vrnewslive.com/krishnabedi-operation-sindoor-amar-shahido-namn/
Robb Edwards 🌱
Palm Oil Detectives
Giuseppe Zolli
Palm Oil Detectives
Knowledge Zone
VR LIVE CHANNEL