Wild oxen on the brink of extinction on Java Island<\/p>\n
Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya<\/p>\n
The population of the wild oxen on Java, one of its main
\nhabitats, has been steadily dwindling in recent years, and if
\nthere is no action to save them, they will be extinct in the near
\nfuture, according to The Indonesian Bio-Diversity Conservation.<\/p>\n
Andi Iskandar, the group's coordinator, said that in East Java
\nalone, the population of the oxen, already an endangered species,
\nwas estimated to be 320 in the mid 1990s, but that estimate was
\nput at 260 this year.<\/p>\n
\"There are about 60 of them currently living in Alas Purwo and
\nBaluran National Parks, while approximately 200 others live in
\nMeru Betiri National Park in the province,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The habitat of the wild ox, Bos Javanicus D'Alton, comprises
\nJava, Borneo, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries in southeast
\nAsia.<\/p>\n
Their numbers have been on the decline here due to
\nunregulated, illegal hunting of the protected animal. Andi
\nrevealed that at least three oxen were killed in East Java per
\nmonth, on average, by the poachers.<\/p>\n
He added that there had long been incentives for low-income
\npeople to hunt the animal, as it can be a lucrative business. The
\nhunters can sell the meat for about Rp 15,000 (US$ 1.6) per
\nkilogram. They also sell the head of the animal as a trophy to
\ncollectors.<\/p>\n
Another reason for the decline is the presence of wild dogs,
\nCuon Alpinus, in the national parks. In Baluran National Park
\nalone, it is estimated that at least 40 wild dogs call it home.<\/p>\n
They have been known to attack the wild ox, if one becomes
\nseparated from its herd.<\/p>\n
According to one local poacher, he kills the endangered
\nspecies to sell the carcass and make a handsome profit. \"Besides
\na good demand for the meat, there is also a demand for its head,\"
\nhe admitted.<\/p>\n
The poacher, who refused to be identified, said that he and
\nhis group had to be secretive about when and where they hunted,
\nbecause they knew the animal was protected.<\/p>\n
\"We have avoid the forest rangers, otherwise we will be
\narrested for hunting the endangered species,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Aryanto R. Putro, from the Veterinarian school at the Bogor
\nInstitute of Agriculture (IPB), said that the government had to
\nget serious about truly protecting the oxen against poachers to
\nprevent the animal from becoming extinct on Java.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the head forest ranger at East Java's Natural
\nResources Conservation Body, Budi Mulyanto, said the government
\nwas at fault for not helping the rangers, who have a lack of
\npersonnel and poor equipment.<\/p>\n
Few facts about wild oxen
\n=================================================================
\n* Has a white rump and legs. It is in contrast to the basic color
\nof the rest of its body, which is light or dark brown.
\n* The length of the body is 1.9 to 2.5 meters, not including its
\ntail.
\n* Weight: 600 to 800 kilograms
\n* The wild ox eats leaves during the rainy season, and grass in
\nthe dry season.
\n* The wild ox lives in the savannas around forests
\n* Their habitat includes Java, Borneo, Myanmar, Thailand and
\nother southeast Asian countries, usually living in lowlands or
\nfoothills between 0 and 2,000 meters above sea level.
\n* They live in groups of not more than 25 oxen each.
\n==================================================================
\nSource: Indonesia National Encyclopedia<\/p>",
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