The track survey of rhino in Cat Loc has revealed a population of 5-7 individuals. This number is lower than previous estimates of 10-20 from the early 1990s and reflects that perhaps 85% of rhino habitat has been lost over the last five years due to human settlement and utilization within Cat Loc.
Cat Loc has been incorporated into Cat Tien National Park
An action plan for the rhino has been formulated at a workshop conducted at Hanoi at end of May 1998 and is currently under review by Vietnamese authorities (central and provincial). A major project for Cat Tien supported by Netherlands Government through WWF will enhance these efforts but more support may be needed. Three major components of the action plan: (1) provide more guards for Cat Loc (2) attempt to maintain surviving and recover some recently lost rhino habitat (3) try to improve the quality of the habitat.
In Indonesia, the RPUs for Javan rhino in Ujung Kulon will be activated in September 1998. These RPUs are being established by a grant from the USFWS RTCF. These RPUs and those for Sumatran rhino are under a Memorandum of Understanding among PHPA, AsRSG, IRF and YMR. There are currently 12 RPUs operating in 3 parks: 3 in Way Kambas 6 in Bukit Barisan Selatan 3 in Kerinci Seblat.
AsRSG reorganized. In addition to one chair and two Deputy Chairs (one for SE Asia and one for Indian subcontinent), there is now an Executive Committee that comprises an additional 5 principal representatives from the six significant range states: India, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sabah and Vietnam. AsRSG will concentrate on regional rather than global meetings.
The first 3 rhinos moved from zoos to Way Kambas in January 1998, being slightly delayed by the drought and fires caused by El Nino. One of the two females is definitely cycling and introductions of the male to this female have commenced with some courtship activity but no copulation yet.
The rhinos are definitely Rhinoceros sondaicus, but they appear to be significantly smaller in size than individuals from Ujung Kulon. This difference in size supports previous evidence that these two populations represent different subspecies.
