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Sumatran rhino (Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary,Indonesia) – a browser

Rhinos are broadly split into two categories – grazers and browsers – based upon their style of feeding and the types of food they eat.  Grazers prefer grasses and typically feed low to the ground.  Browsers favor leaves, twigs and hanging fruits, which often focuses their attention above eye level.  Grazers might be likened to lawn mowers, heads held low and broad mouths sweeping the ground.  Browsers are more like pruning shears, with narrower, prehensile lips reaching upwards into the trees.

White rhinoceros (Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya) – a grazer

The wide-mouthed white rhino of Africa is the consummate grazer.  Short grasses are its favorite foods.  The greater one-horned or Indian rhino is more difficult to categorize – sometimes a grazer and other times a browser.  It likes tall grasses, but also consumes leaves, branches and submerged aquatic plants.  The black rhino, which may share African grassland or savanna habitats with its white rhino cousin, is a browser that consumes significant roughage, like the thorny branches of acacia or fleshy plants like euphorbia that produce noxious chemicals.

Whistling acacia – Masai Mara, Kenya

Euphorbia – Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Tropical forest species like the Javan and Sumatran rhino are obligate browsers, surrounded by a diverse buffet of leafy plants.  Hundreds of species comprise their diets.  At the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, where the resident rhinos have access to large forest enclosures in which they’re free to browse (the verb), the animals are also given more than two dozen different kinds of browse (the noun) every day.   Their eclectic diet includes wild relatives of species like coffee, rubber, breadfruit and poinsettia.  They also seem to favor the aromatic leaves and bark of species related to common herbs and incenses – basil, mint, rosemary, sage, frankincense and myrrh.  Some Sumatran rhino food plants are known to be excellent sources of vitamin C.  Others produce toxic alkaloids that have been used by traditional hunters to produce arrow poisons.   How they know which ones to choose and how much of each to eat is still to be learned.

The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) is a center for managed breeding and research located in Indonesia’s Way Kambas National Park.  To learn more about how the SRS contributes to the survival of this critically endangered species, go to: http://www.rhinos.org/sumatran-rhino-conservation-program.

Seeking the Elusive Badak Jawa: Encounter with Javan Bantengs

Bill Konstant, Program Officer
International Rhino Foundation

A short hike from our landing point on the Ujung Kulon peninsula brings us to a large clearing and a favored grazing ground for the Javan banteng, another of the national park’s endangered species.   In addition to Java, banteng are found on the island of Borneo and on the Asian mainland.   Banteng are wild cattle that tip the scales at half a ton or more – not quite as large as a Javan rhino, but a rare and impressive animal just the same.

A chocolate brown banteng bull

We’re in luck!  At the far end of the clearing, four banteng – a bull and three cows – are grazing at the forest edge.  They’re about two hundred yards away, the wind is blowing from them toward us, and a few clumps of trees block our team from their view.   So they don’t notice us.   I’m hefting a large telephoto lens but, even using that, the banteng would be little more than specks in any photo I might take at this distance.  There’s a good chance I can get closer.

Two mahogany brown banteng cows

The first hundred yards are easy.  I half walk, half jog across the field, being careful to keep the clumps of trees between the banteng and me.  I reach the trees undetected and squat down to remain out of sight.  The banteng  are busy munching grass.  Their heads are down.  I can continue to move toward them, but from here on I’ll be out in the open and will have to remain low to the ground.   I also need to remain closer to the trees than to the banteng, just in case they notice me and aren’t pleased about it.  They may look like contented cows, but appearance can be deceptive.

I halve the distance to them crawling on my belly, keeping below the tips of the tall grass and being careful not to damage my camera or lens.  Every so often, one of the animals raises its head and surveys the landscape.  I freeze. When it returns to grazing, I snap a test photo, move forward once more, and then repeat the process.  Eventually, I reach a point where any further progress would put me “too close for comfort”.  It’s time to focus and click.

The banteng more than oblige me, posing calmly even though I can see that they’re being pestered by flies.  The bull grazes apart from the cows, closer to the forest edge.  The cows are the first to spot me, but their reaction is encouraging.  Instead of bolting, they seem curious and actually take a few steps in my direction.  They seem to want a closer look at the intruder.  So I decide to sit up, take a kneeling position and offer them a better view.  This also prepares me to take off in the opposite direction should their mood change for the worse.  But it doesn’t.  They pose just a little longer, long enough for the bull to become aware and decide that the most appropriate path for the small herd is in the opposite direction, back into the forest.  A quick “Adios!” and the only evidence of banteng is the dried cow pie that I nearly crawled through to get here.

It’s time to resume our search for rhinos.

To be continued ….

Seeking the Elusive Badak Jawa

By: Bill Konstant, Program Officer
International Rhino Foundation

Bill Konstant and Javan rhino statue

Our quest for Javan rhinos begins with a visit to the new director of Ujung KJulon National Park, Mohammad Haryono, who gives our team official permission to undertake the project. In addition to being a national park that was created in 1980, Ujung Kulon was also added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1991, selected for its exceptional natural beauty, for holding the largest remaining tract of lowland tropical rainforest on the island of Java, and for its capacity to preserve threatened plant and animal species of global importance.

Route around Ujung Kulon Peninsula from Taman Jaya

We embark from the village of Taman Jaya, located on Java’s western coast. From that point, one could reach the northeastern tip of Ujung Kulon National Park by hiking long trails that lead south along the bay toward the Indian Ocean. Our team of five, however, departs by boat and takes the sea route around the peninsula. The trip requires only a few hours, during which we pass numerous bamboo fishing platforms situated offshore. There’s no fishing activity during the morning hours. Instead, the nets will be lowered at night, kerosene lamps will be lit and hung above the nets, and fish attracted to the lights will be hauled up onto the platform. All while everyone else sleeps.

We land first on the small island of Pulau Peuchang, a tropical paradise of white sand beaches, crystal blue water and coral reefs. “Pulau” means “island” in Bahasa Indonesian and “peuchang” is the local name for “barking deer,” a small Asian hoofed mammal also known as muntjac. Barking deer are common on the island. Our stop here is a short one, mainly to check in at the national park office and visit the small natural history museum. We’re not here to find muntjac.

Beach on Pulau Peucang

A narrow channel separates the island from the point on the peninsula at which our team will embark. Here we unload all our gear for the week and repack it for the trek inland. Our rations are basic – rice, noodles, vegetables, sugar, salt, coffee and tea, and just enough bottled drinking water for a few days. The team consists of myself, Inov (IRF’s Indonesian liaison), Sorhim (a Rhino Protection Unit veteran), and two local porters, Sarnem and Sarkim, who will carry the lion’s share of our provisions and also handle the cooking chores.

Bringing our gear and supplies ashore

Other than the dock at which are boat is tethered, there’s nothing here to indicate that this area was ever inhabited. However, the small village of Djung Kulon once stood here, that is until the fateful day of August 27, 1883, when the nearby island of Krakatau erupted and completely annihilated much of the surrounding region. Djung Kulon was one of more than 160 coastal villages destroyed by the volcano and its residents were among the more than 35,000 people who lost their lives in this catastrophe. The eruption is reported to have produced the biggest bang the world has ever heard, spewed ash as high as 60 miles into the Earth’s atmosphere, and created numerous tsunamis within a 24-hour period, including at least one wave that experts estimate was more than 100 feet tall. It literally flattened the lowland forests of both western Java and southeastern Sumatra. One can hardly imagine the devastation it wreaked on native wildlife, including the Javan and Sumatran rhino populations.

Eruption of Krakatau – August 27, 1883

From here our plan is to head inland, following the path of Cidaon, the Bamboo River. All river names begin with the prefix “Ci”, and this particular water course is noted for the prominent stands of bamboo that flourish along its banks. We’ll pitch our first camp before reaching the ocean, but first we’ll have to pass a traditional grazing ground for one of the other endangered species that inhabit Ujung Kulon – the Javan banteng.

To be continued….

A Visit from Sumatran Elephants

By Ujang Suryadi, Member, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park Rhino Protection Unit

Our Rhino Protection Unit in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (in Sumatra, Indonesia) spends at least 15 days per month on patrol in the forest, monitoring rhinos and other wildlife, removing snares, and catching illegal hunters, loggers and encroachers. While on patrol, we camp in the forest – we have very basic camps set up on our standard patrol routes. One night, we were staying at Camp 50. Around midnight, we woke up to a commotion and realized there was a small group of Sumatran elephants inside our camp. The group even included a baby elephant – probably around 1 -2 months old!  The elephants stayed in our camp until around 3:00 am, rummaging around. We were excited to see them, but also a little nervous because we know that elephants are unpredictable, and can sometimes be aggressive – especially if they are protecting a calf. We didn’t sleep well at all that night because we had to keep an eye on the elephants. The next night, the elephants came back to our camp at just around the same time, and again stayed until around 3 am. The next day, one of my fellow RPU members and I had set up my camera with tripod and lights, to try to get photos of the elephants if they came back. We found a good position and waited for around 3 hours. Luckily, the elephants found us right around sunrise and I was able to take photos of the mother and calf without disturbing them. Around 7 am, the elephants left our camp and marched deep into the forest. After that, we didn’t see the group again.

Sumatran elephants are endangered, and Bukit Barisan Selatan is one of the most important habitats for Sumatran elephants (as well as Sumatran rhinos and Sumatran tigers, another endangered species). Poachers target elephants because of the high demand for ivory on the black market. Although we are part of the Rhino Protection Unit, we are also committed to protecting the other animals living in the national park, and especially elephants and tigers. Protecting rhinos means protecting all wildlife living in the park. We also track and monitor elephants and tigers, remove snares and traps set for these animals, and collect evidence on and arrest poachers targeting elephants and tigers. We want to preserve all of Sumatra’s unique wildlife for our children and grandchildren to see. 

Translated by Inov.

Five Hours in the River

Five Hours in the River

By Amrodi, Way Kambas Rhino Protection Unit (RPU)

One day, while patrolling in the northern section of Way Kambas National Park, we received a report of illegal logging activity.  Recently in that area of the park, there has been lots of illegal logging which also disturbs rhino habitat.  After arriving at the location, we heard a chainsaw but it was still quite far away.  We tried to follow the noise.  Slowly and carefully, our team walked to the location, crossing a river on the way.  

RPU members cross river in route to apprehend illegal logger

After three hours of walking, we arrived at the location.  We saw three people cutting trees with chainsaws.  Two of the men had heard us coming and ran away, but one of them was still cutting a tree and we were able to catch him and arrest him.  We tried to interrogate him, to ask where he came from, and to find out who is in charge of the illegal logging operations.  We collected all evidence and took a picture of him, and then wrote our report.  Although we chased the other loggers, unfortunately they disappeared.     

Illegal logging suspect arrested with chainsaw

After interrogating and collecting all information from the illegal logger, we called our base camp via walkie talkie and asked to be picked up at the check point.  It was going to take us at least four hours to walk to the check point, and it would not be easy, because we had to also bring the logger in handcuffs.  So we decided to take a shortcut, but we had to cross two rivers, Way Nibung and Way Pegadungan.  The second river was quite deep.  

Luckily, we had confiscated one small boat belonging to the suspect and several big plastic bottles that were used as gasoline containers.  Our team, with the suspect, was seven people, but the boat could only hold three.  Our head of unit and one member of the RPU accompanied the suspect across the river.  Meanwhile I and the other members decided to swim across the river.  I hate to swim across this river because there are too many mosquitos and leeches, but we had to do it.   

Each of us used one of the big plastic bottles to help us float and swim across the river.  We started across the river at 6:00 PM — almost dark.  When we started to cross, we realized the current was much higher and stronger that we had thought. We were swept down the river, and we just had to float along, using the plastic bottles, trying to survive. We were in the river for more than 5 hours before we were able to climb out and then make it to the checkpoint around midnight.  It was terrifying.   

After arriving at the checkpoint, we used the RPU boat to go to the base camp – another three hour trip – and then drove the suspect to the National Park office, where we handed him over to the police. I will never forget this experience – probably the hardest since I joined the RPU.  It’s not an easy job, but I’m proud to be a member of the Rhino Protection Unit.