World population estimated between 400 and 550
Tracks in Banamuda Area in East-Kalimantan. After a survey was conducted in this area in 1980 and no signs of rhino were found, it was concluded that there was no viable rhino population (cf. Van der Zon 1977 and Cockburn & Sumardja 1978).
On the border between Indonesia and Malaysia, Indonesian army field surveyors saw tracks of rhinos in the area up from Ulu Bahau (E 115.62 N 3.45).
Rhino sightings reported around Muara Teweh.
Rhino sightings reported.
Localities mentioned in a survey 1994/95. Kalimantan
It was reported that Sarawak hunters regularly crossed the border with Indonesia to hunt rhinos in the upper Kayan or upper Mahakam area, , cf. Van Strien 1985.
Tracks of two animals in the mountainous parts of E.Kalimantan, cf. Pfeffer 1958.
In 1986, an informant from the Dayak Uma tribe in Batu Majang (Long Bagun) clearly identified rhino tracks and droppings in a pass between lime stone rocks on G. Batuajau (E 114.82 N 0.80). A few rhinos may still roam the mountains between Central and East Kalimantan, and between Central and West Kalimantan. This large mountainous area consists mostly of Protection forest, and there fore threats of habitat destruction are neglible.
S. Irun, south-east of the Apo Kayan area, Kalimantan. In the Ulu S. Irun (E 115.25 N 1.72) rhinoceros droppings of one animal were found in 1995 by a WWF fieldworker. According to the local people in that area rhinos were occasionally encountered, and also in the same area an army helicopter pilot claimed to have seen a rhino on a river bank.
During a survey around the S. Sebuku (E 117.31 N 4.04) in 1994 the informants from `Plasma', a nature conservation NGO in Samarinda, East-Kalimantan were told of encounters with elephants and very occasional ones with rhinos. The informants were als told that around S. Sebuku, Kecamatan Nunukan rhinos, were still reported by logging concessions in 1980.
A `few' rhinos were reported to exist in the Ulu Sembakung Nature Reserve (E 116.30 N 4.23). The proposed 500,000ha Ulu Sembakung Nature erve was reported to contain Kalimantan's only wild population of elephants and possibly rhinos.
An informant at the board of tourism heard of a thin sighting by people in Kutai Lama (E 11 7.42 S 0.62) in 1993. The informant went to check it in the village but could not verify the sighting. If information is correct there might be one or a few rhinos left in the swamp-mangrove area east of Samarinda.
In the Ulu Bahau area (E 115.62 N 3.05) a WWF official was told of the presence of rhinos.
Rhinos were supposed to be present in 1987 in the area east of Bukit Raya, between Ulu S. Ketingan and Ulu S. Kahayan (E 113.33 S 0.30). However, the story is rather vague with indirect information.
Accounts from people in Putussibau, upper Kapuas (E 114 N 1.25): 1. Rhinos possibly still present in the Ulu Kapuas area, in the mountains upstream from Putussibau `geharu' collectors sometimes see rhino tracks. 2. In 1950s and 1960s, several Chinese and Dayak people specialised in rhino hunting. Several rhino were shot in the vicinity of Putussibau. 3. In the 1960s and 1970s, people from the Ulu Kapuas were still hunting rhinos in the mountains, but now they report that because rhino products cannot be sold anymore, they have stopped looking for them.
In 1985, a rhino was killed in the Bkt. Buringajok area (E 115.28 N 0.03) close to the border between Central and East Kalimantan.
Rhinos were supposed to be present in 1987 in the area east of Bukit Raya, between Ulu S. Ketingan and Ulu S. Kahayan (E 113.33 S 0.30). However, the story is rather vague with indirect information.
The results of the survey indicate that the present rhino population is probably concentrated in and around the 1.6 million hectares of the Kayan-Mentarang Reserve in East-Kalimantan. Inside the Reserve there are probably two important areas: 1 ) the headwaters of the S. Bahau in the G. Latuk (1850m) and Bkt. Kalung (1724m) areas. 2) the Bkt.Tikung (1804m) range in the upper reaches of the Kat, Iwan and Punjungan Rivers. The forest is relatively undisturbed, but `geharu' collectors are active in the area, which implies a potential threat to the population as these are often the people who track down the rhinos. The Kayan-Mentarang Nature Reserve is currently the focus of a WWF community-based management project to review existing boundaries. The long, thin shape of the Reserve and its huge size make it impossible to manage, even if staff were to be sent into the field. Within the Reserve boundaries are numerous old settlements and `ladang' lands. MacKinnon (1988) further stated that `the Kayan-Mentarang Reserve adjoins Pulong Tau in Sarawak and the Maliau basin in Sabah. The adjacent Maliau basin is still known to have a small resident population of rhinos, as does the adjoining Baram basin in Sarawak'. Up until now the WWF project has not investigated the presence of rhinos in the Reserve.
Rhino droppings and tracks were found by an Australian geologist on a recent survey in the Meratus area (E 115.74 S 1.72). The supposed sighting of rhino signs in the Meratus 'Mountains has not been substantiated and a request for further information has remained unanswered. The exact location of the sighting was a guess, because there is a mountain named G. Meratus and a mountain range named the Meratus Mountains. These two possible location sites could therefore be as far apart as 200km. Supposedly, there are photographs available of the reported tracks and faeces, but so far these have not been obtained.
Ulu S. lwan in Apo Kayan, Kalimantan. In the area between Ulu S. Punjungan, Ulu S. Iwan and Ulu S. Lurah (E 115.48 N 2.38) the `sightings' of three rhinos, or their signs (it is unclear if animals were actually seen), were reported by `geharu' collectors.
An informant saw foot prints the size of a food plate in 1984, which he assumed to be of the rhinoceros. He clearly described the shape and three toes that were visible in the print. (Location: E 114.05 S 0.68). Dudson et al. (1990) reported the following: `Sumatran rhinoceros and banteng were both rumoured by local people to occur to the north-east of Barito Ulu (E 114.31 N 0.49). While these reports are best treated with extreme caution, it is worthwhile recording them, considering the critical global status of these species'.
On his rhinoceros distribution map, Yasuma (1994) indicates one location of `information of inhabitation from hearing' at ? 20km north of Gunung Kong Botak (E 116.17 N 1.42). Four different sources mentioned the presence of rhinos in the area of G. Belayan, among which the finding of tracks and faeces in upper S. Irun was thought to be reliable. The S. Irun report came area of the proposed Apo Kayan Reserve.
An employee of the Agency for the Conservation of Natural Resources (SB KSDA) in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, heard rumours from local people in the Bentuang Karimun Nature Reserve (E 113.47 N 1.22) that there were still rhinos around. Further affirmative information on rhino presence in the Bentuang Karimun Reserve came from employees of the provincial Department of Forestry (Kanwil Kehutanan) in Putussibau, upper Kapuas. Tasker (1994) reported that `on the Kalimantan side (of Lanjak Entimau) (E 112.30 N 1.40), the rare Sumatran rhinoceros has been seen'. It is unclear what the original source of information was. The presence of rhinos in the 600,000ha Bentuang Karimun Nature Reserve could not be substantiated as reports were contradictory. However, rhinos were hunted in the upper Kapuas area until quite recently. Furthermore, the Bentuang Karimun area is virtually uninhabited and recent satellite imagery shows that its forests are more or less untouched.
An informant saw one poached rhino around S. Boh (E 115.33 N 1.33), tributary of S. Mahakam and he saw tracks of 2 rhino, between 1969 and 1972. Area: S. Boh, S. Merasah (east of Long Pahangai), E 114.93 N 1.28: A former inhabitant claimed that rhino tracks were quite often found there in 1969.
