JAKARTA // In a rare piece of good news for a dying species, Indonesian officials said camera traps in a national park this year captured images of 35 Javan rhinos - five of them calves.
The presence of the calves, despite harsh conditions they are facing, "raised hope for the conservation of the Javan rhinos", said Yanto Santosa, a lecturer of biodiversity conservation and an adviser to the project.
It is still possible that more of the animals live in the Ujung Kulon National Park - the animal's original habitat - said Bambang Novianto, the director of biodiversity conservation at the forestry ministry.
The Javan rhino - once the most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses - was nearly wiped out when the Krakatoa volcano erupted in 1883, creating a 40-metre tsunami that inundated the park on Java island's western tip.
The greatest threat they face today is from poachers, habitat destruction and fierce competition for food with other animal species.
Experts believe there may be only 40 to 60 Javan rhinos left in the wild.
The project's dozens of video cameras yielded 160 clips of rhinos in total, said Mr Novianto.
"Scientists studying the images were able to identify at least 35 different rhinos - 22 males and 13 females," Mr Santosa said.
The World Wide Fund for Nature, which is a partner in the Ujung Kulon project, had reported earlier this year on its preliminary results.
It was not clear if the Indonesian government will reach its target of increasing the population of Javan rhinos to 70 to 80 by 2015.
Last year, three Javan rhinos were found dead within the 120,551-hectare park (almost five times the size of Ajman) and one of them was suspected to be the victim of poachers.
The last known Javan rhino in Vietnam was found dead in April, apparently after poachers killed it for its horn.
* Associated Press
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
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Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
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Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
