Wild palm threatens rhinos' natural feed

The Jakarta Post, Ujung Kulon, Banten

The Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sundaicus) is one of the world's most endangered mammals.

Rhinos elsewhere in the world are declining in number due, among other things, to poaching. Their horns and body parts are in high demand. They are caught with booby traps or shot.

In the past, the single horn Javan rhino was found right throughout Southeast Asia, including in Myanmar, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java. Today, however, the small population that remains is concentrated on the western tip of Java, in the Ujung Kulon National Park.

Less than 10 Javan rhinos also inhabit the Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam.

Around 50-60 Javanese rhinos still survive in Ujung Kulon, the final sanctuary for these thick skinned animals. The government and non-governmental organizations have been doing everything within their powers to save them from extinction.

The Yayasan Mitra Rhino foundation, for instance, is conducting an analysis of vegetation and calculating the rhinos' feed potential in the park.

"The supporting capacity of the Javan rhinos' habitat in Ujung Kulon can still last for another 10 years if the amount of vegetation increases," said Sectionov, the foundation's program director.

"Some 183 types of plant and shrub which rhinos feed on have been discovered in the park's wilderness," he added. Among them are Sulangkar (Leea sambucina), Tepus (Amothum coccineum), Songgom (Barringtonia gagantoscachua) and Segel (Dillenia excelsa).

One plant of the palm family which rhinos don't like, called Langkap (Arenga obtusifolia), and mostly found in low-lying forests, is becoming widespread and thought to be hampering the growth of other vegetation. "Langkap is spread evenly over Ujung Kulon," said Sectionov.

According to him, the plant grows very quickly and virtually everywhere. It has wide top crowns that partly shield the forest floor from sun light, and reproduces by means of seeds. "Without effective control, Ujung Kulon will be blanketed by its dense foliage," he said.

Furthermore, of all the various types of vegetation consumed by Javan rhinos the most popular are small trees, growing up to 2.5 m in height, whereas Langkap can grow as tall as a palm tree. It retards the growth of other vegetation favored by the rhinos.

He drew attention to the lack of efforts to control the plant, whose leaves resemble those of coconut trees. Felling has proven ineffective because of its rapid growth and proliferation. Its fruit also becomes a source of food for other animals such as birds and squirrels, who help spread the plant's seeds, in addition to being blown by the wind.

On the other hand, Langkap also performs the ecological function of providing shelter for wildlife, including Javan rhinos, which shun direct sun light. The other benefits of this plant, such as its medicinal properties, remain relatively unknown.

The foundation surveys meanwhile have revealed that wild bulls (Bos Javanicus) in the same park do not consume Langkap either. "Over 100 kinds of vegetation eaten by rhinos are also shared by the bulls," said Sectionov, who began the study in January 2001 and will complete it in March 2002 in cooperation with the national park office and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) - Indonesia.

The increasing bull population in the 120,551 hectare park gives rise to food rivalry between both species. At present, there are an estimated 800 wild bulls roaming the park's deep forests, even extending as far as areas of Javan rhino concentration.

Sectionov, an alumnus of Bogor's Institute of Agriculture, pointed out that the contest for food between the two herbivores could be anticipated by creating new grazing areas.

"The presence of grassy plains can attract bulls that have been forced to feed on forest plants," added Sectionov, who earlier researched the behavior of bulls in Cikepuh, Sukabumi in West Java.

Ujung Kulon now has about seven such fields for bull grazing, including those in Cidaun, Cibunas and Nyiur. The rising number of bulls is also due to the few predators that prey on them. Javanese tigers previously inhabiting Ujung Kulon's forests, for example, are no longer found.

--Bambang Parlupi