ABOUT THE JAVANESE RHINO
The Javanese rhino is quite possibly the rarest large mammal on earth, with a population of as few as 40 in the Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia. A second population in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam was confirmed as extinct in 2011. The decline of the Javan rhinoceros is attributed to poaching, primarily for their horns, which are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine, fetching as much as $30,000 per kilogram on the black market. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the horn, which is shaved or ground into a powder and dissolved in boiling water, is used to treat fever, rheumatism, gout, and other disorders. Other factors contributing to their plight include the reduction of habitat, especially as the result of wars, disease and loss of genetic diversity leading to inbreeding depression.