The Javan rhinoceros of Vietnam, long thought to be extinct, was captured in a photograph that was released last week by the World Wildlife Fund. Once plentiful throughout Asia, many rhinos were killed off for their horns by poachers and their habitat was heavily damaged during the Vietnam War by defoliants such as Agent Orange. Locals continued to report glimpses of the shy animal, so WWF and Vietnamese authorities set up 10 remote cameras automatically triggered by infrared sensors in hopes that they could snap a photo of the rare beast. Scientists now believe there are between five and eight of the rhinos remaining, making them perhaps the most endangered mammal species in the world. The Vietnamese and Dutch governments are funding a WWF project to help the rhinos recover.
