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 ================================================================= * 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. ================================================================== Source: Indonesia National Encyclopedia