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