 Reference Base  Project 884: Sumatran rhinoceros - international conserva... |
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Borner, M., 1975. Project 884: Sumatran rhinoceros - international conservation programme. WWF Yearbook 1974-1975: 170-171
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| Location: |
Asia - South East Asia - Indonesia - Sumatra |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Sumatran Rhino |
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rhino sighting. So I had to study all kinds of tracks and signs to learn something about the way of life of the Sumatran rhino. I did, of course, try very hard to get at least a glimpse of one. Once I sat on a small platform up a tree for more, than three weeks, eating only cold rice and dried fish. Continually, day and night, either Pawang Husin or I kept watch on a rhino trail and a saltlick. The nights were cold and the daily rains soaked our small shelter. But we saw nothing besides birds, squirrels, and an occasional barking deer. A second attempt at a dif- ferent place produced the same discouraging results.
But I did see one rhino in my, two years or so - and that was purely by chance. We had built our field camp on a rhino trail. Pawang Flusin (the magician) had told me in the morning that I would see a rhino the same day. As he had never said this before I was quite surprised and rather excited. During the day we came across fresh rhino tracks but saw nothing of the animal itself. A trifle disappointed, we were eating our evening meal when suddenly there was a noise of breaking wood. Instantly on the alert, we dropped our rice and rushed outside. There was the rhino! With its head close to the ground it dashed off through the undergrowth like a small but compact tractor. As it was getting dark fast by now, it was not possible to give chase. But, when I smoked my pipe by the fire that night I was very happy, that I had seen, albeit fleetingly at least one of these strange rhinos, whose tracks 1 had been following for such a long time.
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