Rare rhino captured on film before attack
Indonesia is home to some of the world's rarest rhinos
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Thursday, 29, May 2008 03:57
Images of the world's rarest rhinos have been captured by video traps just moments before one of the creatures charged at the camera.
On one occasion a rhino and her calf appeared near the video trap in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia.
After a short inspection the rhino mother charged the camera and sent it flying.
As there are less than 60 Javan rhinos left in the wild Adhi Rachmat Hariyadi from WWF Indonesia said the footage captured "was well worth the risk to our equipment".
"It's very unusual to catch a glimpse of the Javan rhinos deep inside the rain forest," the conservationist added.
"The motion triggered infrared video traps are a useful way to observe them and the ways they use their habitat in a more detailed way."
Agus Priambudi, head of Ujung Kulon National Park, commented: "We are encouraged by the initial results from these video traps, and hope this data will help the park authorities to understand the population dynamics and behaviour of Javan rhinos better and help manage the threats to this population in a more scientific manner."
Javan rhinos are found only in two locations in the world with Ujung Kulong National Park estimated to have more than 90 per cent of the global population.