 Reference Base  Among rhino and Javanese wild ox (banteng) in the Oedjoen... |
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Hoogerwerf, A., 1938. Among rhino and Javanese wild ox (banteng) in the Oedjoeng Koelon Game Reserve. Nature Protection in the Netherlands Indies Dept. of Economic Affairs, Batavia: 9-14, figs. 1-6
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| Location: |
Asia - South East Asia - Indonesia - Java |
| Subject: |
Behaviour - Towards Man |
| Species: |
Javan Rhino |
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An encounter with a rhino did take place much later and, as usually happens in such cases, it was quite unexpected. I have just written about 'good fortune' in coming across a rhino, but I can assure the reader that I felt anything but happy when I saw the first rhino approaching. The weather was gloomy and, after taking our bearings by the compass, we were hacking our way through the dense thorny growth of salak and rattan that covered the place. Suddenly we stumbled on the bathing place of a rhino. It looked as though the wallow had only been there a few days and had been filled by the recent rains. From the fresh tracks, the still bubbling water, and especially the mud still slowly dropping from the surrounding leaves, it was plain that the rhino, probably startled by our approach, had only just left the pool. The native who accompanied me was quick to inform me that the animal would return, and strongly advised me to choose a tree which I could climb should the necessity arise. I left him to do what he thought best, and began to measure the spoor. I had barely begun, when I heard the call of the rhino not far away, and soon after also the heavy tread of the animal, whence I judged that it was approaching at a trot.
My native companion had disappeared: I found later that, as he had been unable to find a suitable tree to climb, he had hidden behind a salak bush, and there, about 5 yards from the 'urat' or rhino path, calmly awaited events. Hearing the animal approach, I left the bathing pool and ran about 20 yards to the rear, where I remained standing, as I did not intend under any circumstances to let the opportunity pass by of seeing a rhino. My patience was not tried long. I had hardly laid aside my notebook, callipers, and measuring tape, when my wish was fulfilled, and a rhino appeared at the edge of the pool. It was of medium size: its slightly raised head carried a fine horn which must have made my native companion's mouth water.
The animal apparently tried to get our wind, but in this it did not succeed, seeing that it was to windward of us, and that the path on which it stood had not been trodden by us. Most likely, however, the colossus saw me seated there, for it suddenly came at me with a speed that I would never have believed possible. The heavy mud of the pool did not seem to hamper it noticeably; at the moment it cleared the wallow, I rushed to a sturdy tree which I meant to climb, but found this impossible as the rains had made the trunk too slippery. I was therefore compelled to crouch behind the tree, not more than half a yard from the animal's path. 'If the rhino sees me', I thought, 'then my only chance of escaping its attack is to dodge around the tree!' Thank heavens, this was not necessary ! The rhino suddenly halted at about eight yards away from me, and after a moment it turned and rushed off almost as quickly as it had come. I have an idea that it saw nothing it could attack, and that it had no notion as to where the intruder lay hid. My rucksack, notebook, etc., lay undamaged and were not even considered worth examination by the rhino, though it had been quite close to them.
Just that very day I had left my rifle in the proa after having carried it around with me for weeks, and I lacked the foolhardiness, quite unarmed as I was, to find out whether its conduct had been the result of curiosity, or whether it had contemplated attacking me. My own conviction is that the rhino meant to attack, and never again will I take the risk I took on that occasion, the more so since I wish to avoid any necessity of shooting one of these animals.
The other members of the party, i.e. the four native carriers, when they heard the rhino approach, had followed the course of events from a safe distance, and now came along to find out what had happened to the tuan or white master. As I had so often experienced before, so also this time it was evident that in time of danger or emergency little or no help is to be expected from this sort of people. The carriers who accompanied me on this trip seemed to be in a continuous state of terror of rhinos and tigers, and were only induced with the utmost difficulty to spend the night elsewhere than along the coast. At first they wanted to spend every night up a tree, but eventually they abandoned this idea, and slept on the ground, as I did, under the waterproof canvas provided for them, trusting in the rifle I had brought.
The second and third rhinos we encountered the following day. The second was seen about noon for a short time, about 60 yards distant, beside a river bank. We first noticed a severe shaking of the pandanus plants that overgrew the banks, and then soon after the rhino emerged. This animal was larger than the one of the previous day, though the horn seemed to me noticeably smaller. Only for a moment did the beast turn its mighty head in our direction, then, though the wind came from our side, it crept into the water; however, it turned immediately and disappeared in the pandanus, a few yards from the place where it had entered the water. Most probably we would have been able to observe also this rhino for a longer period, had the wind been more favourable.
To see a rhino appear out of a pandanus grove is a sight not easily forgotten. It reminds one of the weird scenes which must have taken place in the tertiary period, when dinosaurs and other prehistoric pachyderms skulked in such uncouth vegetation.
The second rhino we came across that day - not more than two hours later - was laying peacefully in its wallow, like a water buffalo, in a small muddy river heavily overgrown with nipa palms on either bank. The only movement of the beast, which was larger than either of the two previous ones encountered, was the constant motion to and fro, of its ears. As it lay there, almost covered with water and with its ears moving, it reminded me of a hippopotamus. After having observed it at my leisure for some minutes, at a distance of about 30 yards, I endeavored to attract its attention by making a noise. This only resulted in the monster heaving its head with its enormous horn out of the water to get our wind, in which apparently it was unsuccessful. Only when I moved to the edge of the river it stood up, so that a large part of its colossal body came in sight. Then with all its might it endeavored to climb the steep muddy bank down which it had slid to the water, but all its attempts failed. It slipped back, and then tried the same tactics at another spot a few yards further, with the same result. In its efforts some heavy branches lying in the river it lifted by its head and heaved over its back. After the failure of this second attempt it forded the river. Its whole body was submerged, and only the huge head and a part of its small tail appeared above the surface. The animal advanced to the very spot where I was standing, and I thought it wise to climb a tree which, overhanging the river, made an excellent observation post.
Also a third attempt to gain the land was unsuccessful; it then walked to and fro in the river, emitting a loud snorting every few seconds. Finally it managed to clamber up a less precipitous part of the opposite bank, and disappeared rapidly in the nipa grove.
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