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Rhino Resource Center: Rhino Forums > Rhino Species > Javan Rhino > Dung DNA study on Javanese rhinos in Vietnam

Posted by: ThomasW Jun 29 2011, 03:36 PM

I think at the end of 2009 the WWF started a dung DNA study to estimate the population of Javanese Rhinos in Vietnam. I think despite special sniffer dogs they found only very few DNA samples. What came out of this study? Are there still Javanese rhinos in Vietnam?

Posted by: DavidB Aug 9 2011, 03:18 PM

Hi Thomas I am just back from Cat Tien NP in Vietnam where i conducted in may 2011 an official evaluation mission of a wild cattle conservation project. I stayed 11 days in the park and did field survey (on wild cattle) with park staff, including in the sector where the rhinos occur(ed). As far as the rhino situation is concerned, the bad news is that there is probably no rhino left in the park. The park satff have not found evidence of rhino presence since december 2009. In May 2010, the skeleton a poached rhino was found in the forest. DNA extracted from bones of the skeleton found in may 2010 matchs DNA from the last dung found in december 2009. The conclusion is that the rhino poached was probably the last one... The funy thing is that the rhino skeleton was not found by park rangers but by illegal fruit collectors in the park who reported to villagers who, in turn, reported to park rangers.... This serioulsy questions the efficiency of rangers in that part of the park... Best David