Another rare Javan rhino calf spotted at Indonesia park

A new Javan rhino calf has been spotted in an Indonesian national park, the facility's head said Friday, further boosting hopes for one of the world's most endangered mammals after two other sightings this year.

The female calf, believed to be between three and five months old, was spotted in camera trap footage taken in May at Java's Ujung Kulon National Park, a find only made public Thursday by Indonesia's environment and forestry ministry.

The mammal named Iris was seen walking with her mother, said Ardi Andono, head of the park.

"This is positive news for the wider community that the Javan rhino is still sustainable," Ardi told AFP Friday.

The park official said Iris, the third calf identified this year, was found after authorities deployed more than 100 camera traps across the national park in February.

"We always use the assumption that every location has the same potential... to obtain the rhinos' photos," said Ardi.

He said two more calves were spotted earlier this year at the park, which is the only habitat left for the critically endangered animal.

After years of population decline, authorities believe there are 82 Javan rhinos left inside the 120,000-hectare sanctuary of lush rainforest and freshwater streams.

The rhinos, which have folds of loose skin giving them the appearance of wearing armour plating, once numbered in the thousands across Southeast Asia but have been hard hit by rampant poaching and human encroachment.

Activists have disputed official figures after authorities recently uncovered a poaching gang that claimed to have killed 26 rhinos since 2018.