One of the world’s rarest large mammals, the Javan rhinoceros, may have taken a baby step back from the brink of extinction, conservationists say. Information from tracking, DNA analyses, and rhino-tripped cameras hidden deep in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park suggests that four Javan rhino calves have been born in the last two years. The park is home to the only viable Javan rhino population, which accounts for about 50 of 60 surviving animals, including the four new calves. Conservationists hope to increase the number of rhinos to 80, the park’s carrying capacity, and then relocate some to start a second population elsewhere in Indonesia. But some scientists fear depletion of the gene pool is so significant that the long-term prognosis for the species is grim.
