THE SUMATRAN RHINO
(dicerorhinus sumatrensis)

It is the only Asian Rhino with 2 horns. A coat of reddish-brown hair covers most of its body. It is the closest living relative of the extinct Woolly Rhino.

Members of the species once ranged in rainforests and swamps from India to Indonesia, but are now Critically Endangered with only six substantial populations in the wild: four on Sumatra, one on Borneo,and one on Peninsula Malaysia.

The Sumatran Rhino is a solitary animal except for courtship and child-rearing. It is the most vocal rhino species making 3 distinct noises: yelps, wails and whistles, and also communicates through marking soil with its feet, twisting saplings into patterns, and leaving excrement.

• D.s. sumatrensis, the West Sumatran Rhino, has only around 275 remaining, mostly on western Sumatra. Around 75 may live on Peninsular Malaysia. The main threats against this subspecies are habitat loss and illegal poaching.
• CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

• D.s. harrissoni, the East Sumatran Rhino or Bornean Rhino, were once common in Borneo; now only about 25 survive. This species is smaller than the other two.
• CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

• D.s. lasiotis, the North Sumatran Rhino, once roamed in India and Bangladesh but has been declared extinct in these countries. Unconfirmed reports suggest there may be a small population still surviving in Burma.It was significantly larger than the other subspecies.
• LIKELY EXTINCT

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THE JAVAN RHINO
(rhinoceros sondaicus)

Once the most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses, it is now the rarest large mammal on earth. A population of at least 40–50 live in Ujung Kulon Nat. Park on the island of Java in Indonesia, and a small population, estimated in 2007 to be less than 8, survives in Cat Tien Nat. Park in Vietnam.

The rhinos remain at risk from poachers, disease and loss of genetic diversity from inbreeding

It can live approximately 30–45 yrs in the wild. It inhabited lowland rainforest,wet grasslands and large floodplains. They usually avoid humans, but will attack if threatened. They are rarely studied directly due to their extreme rarity and the danger of interfering with such an endangered species. Researchers rely on camera traps and fecal samples to gauge health and behavior. Consequently, the Javan Rhino is the least studied of all rhino species.

There are three distinct subspecies, of which only two are presumed to be extant:

• Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus, the Indonesian Javan Rhino, once lived on Java and Sumatra. They are now confined to 40–50 rhino in the Ujung Kulon Nat. Park on Java.
• CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
• Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus, the Vietnamese Rhino, once lived across Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand & Malaysia. Now less than 8 survive in the Cat Tien Park in Vietnam.
• CRITICALLY ENDANGERED; EXTINCTION LIKELY
• Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis, the Indian Javan Rhino, once ranged from Bengal to Burma but is presumed extinct. Inermis means without horns, as a characteristic of this sub-species is the small horn in males, and lack of horns in females.
• LIKELY EXTINCT

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THE INDIAN RHINO
(rhinoceros unicornis)

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The largest of the Asian Rhino, and probably the one with the best armor.This prehistoric-looking rhino has thick, silver-brown skin which becomes pinkish near the large skin folds that cover its body. Males develop thick neck-folds. Its upper legs and shoulders are covered in wart-like bumps. It has very little body hair, aside from eyelashes, ear-fringes and tail-brush.

Indian rhinos have few natural enemies, except for tigers, which sometimes kill unguarded calves.

This rhino is a major success of conservation. Only 100 remained in the early 1900s and now their population has increased to over 2500 but even so they are still endangered.