Indonesia gangs poached 26 rare Javan rhinos since 2018: police

JAKARTA: Indonesian police said on Tuesday that suspected poaching gangs had killed 26 rare Javan rhinos since 2018, in a case that has shone a light on the existential threat facing one of the world´s most endangered mammals.

The rhinoceros endemic to Indonesia´s most populous island is critically endangered, with authorities believing there are only around 82 remaining in Ujung Kulon National Park in western Java.

Police paraded five suspected poachers and their confiscated firearms at a press conference on Tuesday, after saying last week they were investigating claims by an arrested poacher that his gang had killed dozens of rhinos.