T

he Pandeglang regency administration and legislative council have voiced their support for plans to expand the habitat of Javan rhinos at Ujung Kulon National Park (TNUK) in Banten province, on the western tip of Java.

Regent Dimyati Natakusumah said the local administration and council hoped the TNUK would become a source of pride for the nation and also a world-renowned site that could pull in international revenue.

"We've sent a letter to the Forestry Ministry to request an upgrade to the status of the TNUK to a World Wildlife Park, but they haven't responded yet," he said over the weekend, after a meeting in Pandeglang with representatives of international donors.

To attain World Wildlife Park status, a park must have several water reservoirs and a fence encircling it to keep the rhinos within the park area.

The regency council speaker, H.M. Acang, backed the administration's push to have the TNUK upgraded from a national park to a world park.

"We support the plan to expand the habitat of rhinos, because we need to boost the number of animals in the existing population."

With the population of Javan rhinos at the TNUK estimated at no more than 50, the Indonesian Rhinoceros Foundation (YABI) is calling for measures to boost the population and expand the habitat with the assistance of international donors, to achieve a significant increase by the year 2015.

YABI chairman Widodo Pramono, TNUK center head Agus Priambudi, International Rhino Foundation executive director Susie Ellis, Tulsa Zoo's Kimsei Vier and Ruchweet of Miami discussed preparations with the regent and council speaker on Thursday.

Representatives of donors agreed to carry out research and pledged financial assistance totaling Rp 9 billion (US$900,000) to fund the conservation and operational costs of national parks across the country that host rhinos.

Widodo said the Javan rhino habitat would be expanded from 38,000 hectares to 42,000 hectares, up to the Mount Honje area.

"The Javan rhinos will be taken to the Mt. Honje area; our team will use rhino handlers to lead the animals to the area," he said.

Ellis asked the local administration and all stakeholders to support the donors' efforts to help boost the rhino population.

Only five rhino species exist in the world today. These are the black rhino, white rhino, Indian rhino, Sumatran rhino and the critically endangered Javan rhino.