JAKARTA – A new Javan rhinoceros calf has been spotted at an Indonesian national park, giving hope for the conservation of one of the world’s most endangered mammals.

The calf, estimated to be between three and five months old, was spotted in footage captured in March by one of 126 camera traps installed in Ujung Kulon National Park on Java island.

The mammal, whose sex remains unknown, was seen walking with its mother inside the park, the last remaining wild habitat for Javan rhinos.

“Praise God, this is good news and proves that Javan rhinos, which exist only in Ujung Kulon, can breed properly,” Environment Ministry senior official Satyawan Pudyatmoko said in a statement on April 6.

After years of population decline, the authorities believe there are 82 rare rhinos inside the roughly 120,000ha sanctuary of lush rainforest and freshwater streams.

Javan rhinos have folds of loose skin, giving them the appearance of wearing armour plating.

They once numbered in the thousands across South-east Asia, but have been hard hit by rampant poaching and human encroachment on their habitats. AFP