The distribution is extensive but the density is low.
In Kutai, the wide Mahakam River is a divide, south of which the rhino does not occur. For the upper reaches of the river, where it is much narrower, i.e. in the subdivision of Boven-Mahakam, this is no longer correct. Rhinos occur in the mpountains on the upper reaches of the rivers Belajan, Klindjau, Tel?n and wahau, that is a region bordering the Apokajan and Beraoe, but in continuously diminishing numbers. In the mountains near the source of the Telen, visited in 1925 by the Midden-Oost-Borneo expedition, only scarce tracks were found, partly at 2000 m high, and we found the same on the upper reach of the Atan, a tributary of the Klindjau. Strangely enough, rhinos were still relatively common, at least until about six years ago, in the mountains separating the Kedang Rantau and the Telen on one side and the Strait of Makassar on the other side, and this even at about 50-60 km north of Samarinda, that is quite close to the town, like on the Upper Separi, the upper Karangmoemoes and the upper Koetailama, all small tributaries of the Mahakam. In this region, which we visited in 1905-1907, rhino paths were relatively numerous, as were dung heaps, similar to those of elephants, but smaller in size. About 1905 a young Swiss geologist killed a young rhino in this area, but we were never fortunate enough to encounter a rhinoceros.
Kutai region in SE Kalimantan, near Samarinda.
In the mountains near the source of the Telen, visited in 1925 by the Midden-Oost-Borneo expedition, only scarce tracks were found, partly at 2000 m high, and we found the same on the upper reach of the Atan, a tributary of the Klindjau.
We saw often the feeding remnants of these animals, which are much like those of an elephant, but they are smaller in size. We remember how it occurred to us that in many cases a young rotan had grown from a dung ball, which obviously was a fertile ground for it.
