JP/5/BULL

JP/5/BULL

Wild ox on the brink of extinction
Indra Harsaputra
Surabaya

The population of the wild ox has been steadily dwindling in the
past few years, and if there is no affirmative action to save
them, they will be extinct in the near future, according to an
estimate by The Indonesian Bio-Diversity Conservation.

Andi Iskandar, the coordinator of the Indonesian Bio-Diversity
Conservation, said that in East Java only, the population of the
wild ox, an endangered species, numbered some 320 between 1992
and 1998, but it dropped to some 260 this year.

"Some 60 wild oxen currently live in Alas Purwo and Baluran
National Parks, while over 200 others wander around in Meru
Betiri National Park in the province," he said.

The wild ox (Bos Javanicus D'Alton) live in Java island,
Kalimantan island, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries in
Indochina.

The number of wild oxen has been on the decline due to rampant
hunting against the protected animal. Andi revealed that at least
three oxen were killed in East Java in a month in average due to
the illegal hunting of the animal.

He said that there is a temptation to hunt down the animal, as
it is a bit lucrative business. The hunters sold the ox's meat Rp
15,000 (US$ 1.6) per kilograms to customers and traders. They
also sold the head of the ox as souvenir to those who are
interested.

The second factor that put the number of wild ox into decline
was the presence of wild dog (Cuon Alpinus) in the national
parks. In Baluran National Park alone, some 40 wild dogs are
estimated to have wandered around there in the past few months.

They usually hunt down the wild ox, once he is separated from
his group.

According to an animal hunter here, he hunts down the animal
because people are fond of eating wild ox meat on the ground that
its fat is far less than cow meat. The price of ox meat is also
less than the price of cow meat. "Besides good demand on the wild
ox meats, there is also good demand on the head of wild ox," he
said.

The hunter, who refused to be identified, said that he and his
group hunted down the wild ox in their habitats in East Java in
secret, knowing that the animal is a protected animal.

"We have avoid the presence of forest rangers, otherwise we
will be arrested for hunting the endangered species," he said.

Animal observer from the Faculty of Veterinary at the Bogor
Institute of Agriculture (IPB) Aryanto R. Putro said that the
government had to take firm measures against the illegal hunters
to prevent the animal from being extinct.

However, separately, the coordinator of forest rangers from
East Java's Natural Resources Conservation Body, Budi Mulyanto,
admitted that the government could not do its best due to lack of
people and poor equipment.

Few facts about wild ox
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* The color of his buttock and leg is white. It is in contrast to
the basic color of his body that is light brown or dark brown.
* The length of the body 1.9 to 2.5 meters, not including its
tail.
* Weight: 600 to 800 kilograms
* The wild ox eats leaves during rainy season, and grass in the
dry season.
* The wild ox lives in the savanna in the forest
* They live in Java, Kalimantan, Myanmar, Thailand and other
Southeast Asian countries, with land height 0 to 2,000 meters
above sea level.
* They live in groups not more than 25 oxen each.
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Source: Ensiklopedi Nasional Indonesia