Anak Krakatau eruption likely did not harm Javan rhinos in Indonesia — Mongabay
Javan rhinos in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park likely were not harmed by the eruption of Anak Krakatau volcano, located about 50 kilometers from their only habitat in the wild. Park head Ardi Andono said on September 7 that vibrations and noise from the volcano had only a minor impact on the animals’ habitat.
According to Mongabay, rangers continue to monitor the rhinos. The Anak Krakatau eruption began on September 4; ash spread over parts of Java and Sumatra, disrupting air travel and leading to the suspension of school classes and fishing in some areas.
Population concentrated in one park
Ujung Kulon, at the western tip of Java, is home to the world’s only wild population of Javan rhinos, a species on the brink of extinction. Estimates of the animals’ numbers vary: conservation organization Save the Rhino puts the figure at about 50 individuals, while Indonesia’s forestry ministry estimates the population at 87–100 rhinos.
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In 2023, Indonesian environmental organization Auriga Nusantara reported that official counts may have included rhinos that had not been recorded by camera traps for years, including animals whose deaths were later confirmed. Auriga researcher Rizki Is Hardianto said he had received no reports of rhinos dying as a result of the current eruption.
Tsunami risk
According to Hardianto, the greatest threat to the population is a possible tsunami. The rhinos live in low-lying coastal terrain, and one rhino died during the tsunami in Ujung Kulon in December 2018. Since the entire wild population of Javan rhinos is concentrated in one place, a natural disaster or disease could threaten its survival.
Conservationists have long called for creating a second habitat for the rhinos. The 5,000-hectare Cikepuh reserve on Java’s southern coast was deemed too risky in 2019 because the area was used for military exercises. Authorities focused on expanding suitable areas within Ujung Kulon. The first relocation of a rhino within the park ended with the death of a male named Musofa in November 2025, several days after he was transported to the Javan Rhino Research and Conservation Area. A necropsy found a severe parasitic infection and chronic health problems.
