Report : Indonesia brings new hope for Rhino conservation

In the last years, there is little good news regarding the conservation of rhinos. Demand for rhinoceros horn is increasing, especially in Asia, bringing a sharp increase in both the price and the poaching incident. This led to a very damaging impact on the population of rhinos in Asia and Africa

Last year the research have confirmed the extinction of the Javan rhinoceros in Viet Nam and the Western black rhinoceros (Western Black Rhino) in Cameroon. In 2010 and 2011, nearly one Rhinoceros was shot daily in the southern part of Africa. Many media reports indicate that the fight against poaching are losing, not only for the rhinos but for Tigers, elephants, sharks and many other species that are traded in international markets, mostly illegally. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates that up to 25% of the world's animals threatened with extinction.

However, at least for the rhinos, the new hope for the conservation of this species emerges from the most unexpected sources. Indonesia, which is home of the Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus) and the Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is a highly endangered species, recently made headlines with the good news that is rarely heard.

New initiatives for conservation can help rhinos in Indonesia for regardless of bad luck. Terry Sunderland

In June, the fourth Sumatran Rhinoceros born in captivity at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Lampung, South Sumatra. Recently, camera traps have captured an image of up to seven male rhinos in Leuser forest in Aceh province in Northern Sumatra. This is the first recorded shooting results from the rhinoceros sub-populations for over 26 years. Although things had looked like a simple success when compared to the thousands of reports of organized poaching and extinction, local reports indicated that the conservation is not completely lost in this fight. At least, not yet fully defeated.

Put Indonesia in garda leading in the conservation of rhinos, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently announced on 5 June 2012 as the beginning of the Year the International Rhino. The groundbreaking took place at the request of IUCN with the expectation to generate actions to protect the rhinos and the Sumatran in the long run and also encourage the conservation of rhinos in other countries, either in Asia or Africa.

This gives the groundbreaking political faith has prompted several organizations because of the severe impact of the poaching of rhinoceros for its horn to supply a market that is constantly evolving, which is reportedly run by the organized criminal syndicates. High level of initiative from a Government that has never happened before in international conservation and was well received by many groups such as WWF, IUCN and the Convention on international trade in Endangered Species For (CITES).

The challenge now is to maintain the momentum. The Javan rhino, which is estimated at about 45-50 tail, isolated in one of the last remaining natural forest in West Java, namely in the Ujung Kulon National Park. Sumatran Rhinoceros in fact are in a State which is more menghawatirkan, with a total population of about 150 in four national parks is a very different case in Sumatra, with varying levels of protection is effective, and all under the urging of plantation. Therefore, the President of Indonesia has set up a task force composed of national and international experts to deal with the protection and management of this last rhinoceros populations.

Of course, there are those who criticize the conservation of a species, and many say that, with limited resources, the ecosystem approach to conservation that is far more thorough would be more effective. Protect habitat means protecting species in it. Of course the various approaches of conservation still must take into account the growing population and their well-being as well as reasonable economic development desire.

Javan rhinos in Ujung Kulon National Park. A. Hoogerwerf/The Rhino Resource Center.

However, the design of conservation, both at the level of species and ecosystems, with the development needs of the local population and the economic interests of the Government and multi-national corporations are subjected to during this difficult to achieve. Other parties may be said that, after the existence of various investments and statements of intention, we actually have not yet found the right way to combine the two.

The World Conservation Congress (World Conservation Congress) next to be held in Jeju, Korea in early September of 2012 will be able to reassess what needs to be done to preserve the world's biodiversity that still exists and that

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