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| Location: |
Asia - South East Asia - Malaysia - Sabah |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Sumatran Rhino |
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One of the rarest animals of the forest was the two-horned rhino, much prized for its fabled horns which are supposed to have great healing properties and act as a powerful aphrodisiac. At the turn of the century the rhino was not uncommon in the Segama area and they were often hunted by Dusuns with blowpipes and spears but the advent of the shotgun seems to have been the animal's downfall. They have become so scarce that few Dusuns to-day have ever seen the tracks, let alone a rhino in the flesh. Ibans from Sarawak still make a living from poaching the last few remaining rhinos and would spend weeks at a time tracking the beasts. Although I had seen fresh rhino tracks on my third day in the jungle I found them again only a dozen times in sixteen full months in the Ulu Segama. They were usually around the mud wallows in the hills at the north end of my research area. I never had a clear view of a rhino, though once disturbed a large animal who crashed away down the slope, and, despite all my subsequent efforts, this was as close as I got to the rare creature. On another occasion I followed two sets of fresh tracks for over an hour in the hope of seeing the beasts. A strong animal smell still lingered so I knew they could not be far ahead. I could see where they had trampled down small bushes to feed on the leaves and the tree-trunks were muddy from their passing. Unfortunately the tracks came out on to hard gravel and although I cast far to each side I found no further trace and had to give up the trail.
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In search of the red ape
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