During the commemoration of World Rhino Day 2025 in Jakarta on Monday, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni said fewer than 100 Javan rhinos remain in their natural habitat. The population of Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is also estimated at under 100.
"We have collaborated with IPB University to create a biobank. This includes introducing ART, which can simply be called rhino test tube baby technology," he said.
According to the minister, technological assistance is urgently needed as Indonesia's rhino populations face multiple threats, from illegal hunting to habitat loss due to land conversion.
For the Javan rhinoceros in particular, ministry studies show limited habitat capacity, low genetic diversity, and an inbreeding rate of 58.5 percent. A Population Viability Analysis (PVA) predicts the species could become extinct within 50 years without concrete intervention.
To boost their chances of survival, the government is preparing to translocate a male and female Javan rhino from Ujung Kulon National Park to the Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area (JRSCA), which lies within the same conservation zone.
The initiative, launched in early September under the name Operation Merah Putih, involves collaboration with the Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian Rhino Foundation (YABI).
"So, if mating is not possible in their habitat, and there is a threat to inbreeding since the population is already limited, then we can try to cross-breed so that the offspring will be better and possibly avoid the risk of disease," Antoni explained.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Katriana
Editor: Anton Santoso
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