Introduction - Javan Rhino Facts
The Javan Rhinoceros (Rhino) is one of the most endangered animals in the world. In fact there are probably less than fifty left in the world. On this page of Interesting Animal Facts we will list numerous facts about these animals. You will find information about where they live, how they reached the brink of extinction, and what actions are being taken to protect them. This information is written for both kids and adults.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com books about endangered animals.
General Javan Rhino Facts
- The only remaining Javan Rhinoceros live in Ujung Kulon National Park located in Java Indonesia.
- Javan Rhinos are about 6 feet high (1.8 meters), 12 feet long (3.7 meters), and weigh 3,500 pounds (1587 Kilograms).
- Its natural habitat is dense rainforest.
- The word rhinoceros comes from a combination of the Greek words for nose (rhin) and keras (horn).
- Javan Rhinos are generally solitary animals and have loosely defined territories.
- This animal is grey and has folds in its skin. The folds are less pronounced than the African rhinoceros and the Javan rhino also has a smaller head than it's African cousin.
- Unlike African Rhinos, who have two horns on their nose, the Javan rhino has a single horn.
- They have bad eyesight but have a keen sense of smell and great hearing.
- This animal is a herbivore with a diet consisting of plants, twigs, and fruit.
- The scientific name for the Javan Rhinoceros is Rhinoceros sondaicus.
Facts about the Javan Rhino as an Endangered Animal
- Out of the thousands of Javan Rhinos that once roamed the rainforest of the earth only a handful are left; perhaps forty or fifty. The exact number is not known because they roam free in the rainforest of the huge Ujung Kulon National Park in Java Indonesia.
- People kill Rhinos for their horns. The horns are sold on the black market for use as decorations or for medicinal purposes.
- Poaching and the encroachment of people into their habitats are the main reasons the Javan Rhino is endangered.
- Their numbers have dropped drastically since the 1700's. At one point there were rewards given out by the government for killing these rhinos who caused sever crop damages.
- There are several conservation groups, including The World Wildlife Fund and the Defenders of Wildlife, who are trying to prevent these amazing animals from becoming extinct. They are protecting them from poachers, providing the correct food for them, and trying to promote breeding among unrelated members of the species.