To the joy of the environmentalists and animal lovers, the WWF has published the images of an endangered Borneo rhino. A video camera treacherously positioned deep inside the jungles of Borneo has captured exceptional footages of the species presumed to be extinct in its natural haunt.
The WWF and Malaysia’s Sabah Wildlife Department released a two minute video viewing a rare Borneo rhino. The animal is shown grazing, approaching the camera and smelling the equipment. This is the first-ever picture observing the behavior of the world’s rarest rhinos in its natural habitat.
Estimated to be between 25 and 50 in numbers, these Bornean rhinos are the only surviving subspecies of Sumatran rhinos. These animals exist only in the dense forests of Sabah province of Malaysia. Their secretive lifestyle adds to many fables and legends in the Malay folklore. The constant investigations by nature lovers had led to their first ever still photography in 2006.
The video captured by the trap camera hoped to throw light on the mysterious living of these rhinos. Developed by Stephen Hogg, Director of Audio Visual at WWF-Malaysia, the equipment is sure to be helpful in determining the state of rhinos, help distinguish individual animals and analyze their behavior in the wild habitat.
A jubilant Hogg said,
We did a pilot test with two of my video cameras in an area that the field team had determined was used by rhinos. The first time we checked them, after four weeks, there were these fantastic images. This is further proof that these video cameras do work and are of value to our conservation work. This footage is awesome and could not have been better.
The Borneo rhinos were almost invisible for 20 years till one of them was photographed by an expeditionary party in 2006. There was wide spread fear of the animals being vanished due to poaching and illegal intrusion into rhino territory. Now after the video release, the WWF has expressed hope that rhino population is viable and sure to increase if protected from poaching.
The governments of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia have recently signed a declaration to conserve the forest heartland of Borneo. The heart of Borneo is home to large numbers of distinctive animal and plant species like orangutans, elephants and rhinos. The Sabah forest authorities are in the process of creating a 200-hectare exclusive forest corridor to protect the rhinos. A sustainable conservation policy coupled with public awareness and the willingness of the community is the need of the hour to save rhino habitats in Borneo.
Via:WWF