Javan Rhinos Not Safe from Poachers
Recent testimony by arrested illegal poachers in #Indonesia finds 26 of the estimated remaining 72 living Javan #Rhinos were slaughtered for their horns over the past five years. In the so-called “protected” Ujung Kulon National Park in the western tip of the island of Java. This must spark a national emergency to protect these beings before they are gone for good! End the wildlife trade and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Shocking news: 26 of the 72 remaining #Javan #Rhinos 🦏 were poached recently from Ujung Kulon National Park, #Indonesia making their protection even more serious. End disgusting #poaching! Help them survive when you #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect wp.me/pcFhgU-91C
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Testimony by arrested #poachers in #Indonesia finds 26 of the remaining 72 #Javan #Rhino 🦏 are still alive 😭 We must scramble to protect these beautiful and unique #animals urgently! #Boycottmeat #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect wp.me/pcFhgU-91C
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[strong]Written by Jason Gilchrist, Lecturer in the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.[/strong]
26 of the estimated maximum 72 Javan rhino have been poached by two gangs in the last five years. Absolutely shocking news!
I am an ecologist, and I have been lucky to work with white rhino in Africa. This work has involved capturing rhino, dehorning and moving them – methods used to try to save rhino from poachers.
Poachers target these large, plant-eating mammals for the illegal trade in rhino horn, fuelled by demand from Asia, principally China and Vietnam, where the horn is perceived as a status symbol, a cure for illness and an aphrodisiac.
Poaching is the main threat to the African rhino, but it was not considered a risk for the critically endangered Javan rhino in Asia. So rare and difficult to detect are Javan rhino, which live in dense jungle, that it was thought poachers would not be able to find them.
However, recent testimony from poachers arrested in Indonesia has indicated that 26 of the estimated maximum 72 Javan rhino have been poached by two gangs in the last five years. That is shocking news.
This revelation turns a worrying situation into an emergency – and demands increased efforts to save the Javan rhino from extinction.
How many Javan rhino are there?
Indonesian police arrested 13 members of two poaching gangs who revealed the otherwise undetected loss of rhino from Ujung Kulon National Park, the home of the world’s only remaining Javan rhino population, on the island of Java in the Indonesian archipelago.
Javan rhino were once widespread in southeast Asia. The last one outside of Indonesia was poached in Vietnam in 2010.
The actual number of rhino killed by the poaching gangs cannot be verified. It’s possible that sources within the government or conservation teams are passing information to poachers.
A Dutch hunter with a slain Javan rhino in Ujung Kulon, 1895. Charles te Mechelen/Rhino Resource Center
Indonesia’s forests are home to 10-15% of the planet’s plants, birds and mammals. While Indonesia harbours the greatest amount of rainforest in Asia, over 74 million hectares (three times the land area of the UK) have been lost in the past 50 years to palm oil extraction and paper mills.
Indonesia’s forest cover has fallen from 80% to less than 50% amid one of the fastest deforestation rates in the world. Pandeglang, the Javan region containing the national park, has lost nearly 10% of its rainforest since 2000.
All scientists know about the abundance of Javan rhino is gleaned from camera traps, remote cameras that are triggered to take photos by passing animals. The last government population estimate was released in 2019.
A report published in 2023 criticised this estimate because 18 of the rhino counted had not been detected by a camera trap for three years, and three of the rhino counted were known to be dead.
Saving the Javan rhino from extinction
Indonesian conservationists have focused on habitat loss as the leading threat to Javan rhino, as it deprives the species of breeding opportunities. Scattered across separate fragments of jungle, rhino are unlikely to find each other during the brief window when females are receptive to mating.
There is also evidence of inbreeding, exacerbated by there being more adult males than females. Some biologists have called for Javan rhino to be taken into captive breeding programmes.
With just 46 Javan rhino in the wild (perhaps even less), poaching could wipe out the species or reduce it to such a low number that low breeding success deals the final blow.
Ujung Kulon National Park is located on the western tip of Java. Achmad Soerio Hutomo/Flickr, CC BY
So, what now? It is likely that the Javan rhino cannot afford to lose any further animals to poaching, and vital that further poaching is prevented. The Indonesian government has now increased security in the national park with police and military combining forces.
Allowing forests to naturally regenerate and planting corridors of trees between jungle patches will help the remaining rhino find suitable habitat and each other. Conservationists have also called for cutting down trees in some locations to allow fresh, young trees with more accessible leaves to grow.
Research has also shown that removing an invasive palm boosts the availability of rhino food plants. Livestock must be excluded from the park too, as domestic cattle can transmit disease.
As far back as 1986, conservationists called for some rhino to be moved out of the park (perhaps to the neighbouring island of Sumatra). Splitting an already limited population is risky, but not establishing the safety net of at least one other population elsewhere is riskier still.
What if a tsunami hit the park? And the park may already be near capacity, as it is estimated to be able to support only 68 rhino.
Bringing Javan rhino into captivity and using reproductive technologies on stored eggs and sperm (techniques in development for the more common white rhino) may also need to be considered. Although, it is still possible that captive breeding may not be required: camera traps have photographed newborn Javan rhino, as well as adults, as recently as March 2024.
A female Javan rhino calf with its mother, photographed by a camera trap in Ujung Kulon national park. Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Scientists don’t know much about Javan rhino biology. There have been few studies of wild rhino and only 22 have ever been kept in captivity, the last of which died more than 100 years ago. More research is needed to understand as much as possible about Javan rhino ecology and reproduction – in the wild and from museum specimens.
More effective habitat and wildlife conservation across Indonesia will benefit other Indonesian species, including the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, all three species of orangutan, and the Sumatran rhino (estimated population of 24-47, making it the world’s most endangered rhino).
If effective conservation action is not taken now, the remaining Javan rhino population will go the same way as that in Vietnam.
Written by Jason Gilchrist, Lecturer in the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii
Location: Papua New Guinea, West Papua, Australia
Region: Trans-Fly ecosystem of southern Papua New Guinea and West Papua along with northern parts of Australia.
The frill-necked lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii, also known as the frilled dragons or frill-neck lizards, are famous for their impressive neck frill that fans out dramatically when they feel threatened. The Trans-Fly savannahs of southern Papua New Guinea and Indonesian-occupied West Papua, have come increasingly under threat over the past decade by climate change-related extreme weather and deforestation. Anthropogenic threats include habitat destruction for timber and palm oil, climate change-related fires, expanding agricultural zones, road and infrastructure building and capture for the exotic pet trade. In Australia, these lizards eat poisonous cane toads that are deadly once ingested. This along with large-scale bushfires pose threats to Frill-necked #Lizards. Once abundant, these striking reptiles are now losing their ecosystems. Use your wallet as a weapon for them by defending New Guinea’s forests. Choose palm oil-free products and boycott the pet trade. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
The Frilled-Neck #Lizard 🦎💚 is an icon of #Australia 🇦🇺. Their #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 and #WestPapua populations are under threat from #deforestation 🌴🩸⛔️ along with #ClimateChange. Protect their home and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect wp.me/pcFhgU-bfE
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With their dramatic frilled necks 🦎😻✨ and ability to run on two legs, Frilled-Neck #Lizards are arguably the most spectacular lizards in all of #Melanesia 🇵🇬 Help protect their #NewGuinea population #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect wp.me/pcFhgU-bfEWith
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Appearance & Behaviour
With their iconic neck frill, long limbs and ability to sprint upright on two legs, frill-necked lizards are one of the most distinctive reptiles in the world. New Guinean individuals typically feature vivid yellow frills that flare outward like a sunburst when they feel threatened—often accompanied by a hiss and an open mouth to appear larger than life. Their frill can reach up to 30 cm across, supported by hyoid bones and cartilage that fan the skin out in a flash. Colouration is variable, and in New Guinea, these lizards lean towards paler hues with distinctive white markings accenting their yellow frills.
Primarily arboreal, they spend over 90% of their time in the trees. They are solitary, territorial, and highly dependent on their frill to communicate and intimidate. During the wet season, they descend closer to the ground in search of food, only to retreat to the higher canopy during the dry months when food is scarce.
Threats
Geographic Range
This species is found in northern Australia and across southern New Guinea, including both Papua New Guinea and Indonesian-occupied West Papua. In New Guinea, they inhabit the Trans-Fly savannah region—a unique landscape of seasonal woodlands and dry forests. These lizards avoid low-lying Melaleuca-dominated swamps and prefer elevated areas with well-drained soils and diverse tree species. However, their range in New Guinea is far more restricted than in Australia, making local threats far more significant to their survival.
Diet
Frill-necked lizards are insectivorous ambush predators. They rely on their sharp eyesight and camouflage to spot prey from high in the trees. Their diet consists mainly of insects like termites, cicadas, beetles, ants, and centipedes. During the dry season, termites are especially important, while the wet season sees them shifting to moth larvae. Occasionally, they will consume spiders, small rodents, and other lizards.
Mating and Reproduction
Mating occurs during the late dry and early wet seasons. Males engage in dramatic frill displays and combat to win over females. Females dig a shallow burrow where they lay 1–2 clutches of 4–20 eggs. Temperature plays a critical role in determining the sex of hatchlings—warmer nests produce more males, while cooler ones yield more females. Young frillies are independent within 10 days of hatching and can deploy their frills almost immediately.
FAQs
How many Frill-necked lizards are left in New Guinea?
There is no precise population estimate for New Guinea, but while the species is locally common in parts of Australia, their populations in the Trans-Fly region are under pressure. Their limited range, coupled with the impacts of deforestation and trade, may mean local declines are already occurring.
How long do Frill-necked lizards live in the wild?
Frill-necked lizards in the wild can live up to 6 years for males and around 4 years for females. Hatchlings grow rapidly during the wet season and reach sexual maturity by about two years of age.
Do Frill-necked lizards make good pets?
Absolutely not. These sensitive reptiles are wild animals with complex needs. They are difficult to breed in captivity, meaning many sold in pet markets are likely wild-caught, contributing directly to population declines. Keeping them as pets fuels this harmful trade and leads to suffering. If you care about frill-necked lizards, do not support the exotic pet industry.
Take Action!
Support local and indigenous-led resistance to palm oil deforestation in West Papua and Papua New Guinea. Boycott palm oil products entirely—there is no such thing as “sustainable” palm oil, all of it causes deforestation. Say no to the exotic pet trade, which is stripping these unique lizards from the wild and pushing them towards decline. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Support Frill-Necked Lizards by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
O’Shea, M., Allison, A., Tallowin, O., Wilson, S. & Melville, J. 2017. Chlamydosaurus kingii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T170384A21644690. dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.201…. Accessed on 06 April 2025.
Harlow, P. S., & Shine, R. (1999). Temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles: insights from frillneck lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 68(3), 197–211. jstor.org/stable/3893081
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Frilled lizard. Wikipedia. Retrieved 7 April 2025, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frilled_…
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#animals #Australia #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #bushfires #climateChange #climatechange #deforestation #fires #ForgottenAnimals #FrillNeckedLizardChlamydosaurusKingii #hunting #illegalPetTrade #insectivore #lizard #lizards #Melanesia #NewGuinea #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #PapuaNewGuineaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #PapuaNewGuinea #petTrade #poaching #Reptile #reptiles #timber #WestPapua #WestPapua
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