Javan Rhino Poacher Gets 12 Years Prison. A Javan Rhino poacher named Sunendi has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars for the poaching of six critically endangered Javan rhinos, marking the most severe punishment ever imposed for wildlife crimes in the country.

Sunendi – Javan Rhino Poacher Get 12 Years Prison | Credit: kompas.com

While the maximum penalty for poaching under Indonesian law is five years, Sunendi, aged 32, faced additional charges including theft and illegal possession of firearms, the latter carrying a potential death penalty. Judge Joni Mauludin Saputra emphasized that it was the firearm possession charge that weighed heaviest in the decision to impose the 12-year sentence and a fine of 100 million rupiah ($6,160).

Read: 15 Javan Rhinos Disapeared

“This ruling represents the most significant imprisonment for wildlife crime in Indonesia,” remarked Timer Manurung, founder and director of local NGO Auriga Nusantara, which had previously raised concerns about rampant poaching in the park.

Javan rhinos, among the most endangered mammals globally, exclusively inhabit Ujung Kulon National Park on Java Island’s western tip.

The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) commended the sentencing, noting its rarity compared to usual court outcomes, often falling short of prosecution recommendations.

Sunendi’s gang was responsible for the killings of six rhinos between 2019 and 2023, with the court confirming the slaughter of five males and one female. Sunendi has a week to decide whether to appeal. The gender disparity among Javan rhinos, with approximately twice as many males as females, poses a heightened threat to the species’ survival.

However, Sunendi’s gang wasn’t the sole operative within the park. Another gang, led by Suhar, was also implicated in rhino killings. Recent arrests led to revelations from a dozen alleged poachers, indicating a total of 26 rhinos slain by the two gangs since 2019.

Read: 26 Javan Rhino Killed

If substantiated, this staggering figure signifies the loss of around one-third of the global Javan rhino population in just four years—an alarming blow to conservation efforts and Indonesian biodiversity.

Indonesia has not conducted a population census of Javan rhinos since 2019, which reported 72 rhinos in the park. However, a 2023 report by Auriga Nusantara revealed discrepancies in the counting process, with officials including numerous rhinos not captured on camera traps for years, some of which were confirmed deceased.

Considering the number of rhinos killed and recent births, it’s plausible that the current Javan rhino population is now fewer than 50 individuals. If accurate, this setback in numbers echoes back to 2012 figures when officials counted 40 rhinos.

“This sentencing won’t restore the lost rhinos, but it sends a clear message and should deter anyone contemplating wildlife crime in Indonesia,” remarked Nina Fascione, executive director of the IRF. In addition to Sunendi’s trial, police have detained two middlemen involved in trafficking rhino horns, purportedly for sale to China.

Sunendi’s trial exposed an elaborate poaching scheme exploiting the park’s conservation camera trap network. His theft charge stemmed from stealing four camera traps from the park, extracting rhino sighting data from 2020 to 2023, subsequently crafting a map pinpointing the rhinos’ probable locations. Moreover, he possessed a map detailing park patrol routes, aiding his gang in evading capture.

Ironically, it was a camera trap that led to Sunendi’s arrest last November, capturing him illegally in the park armed with weapons. Subsequently, he was found in possession of a Javan rhino skull and assorted rhino bones.

Since last year’s confirmation of poaching activity, park officials have heightened security measures, including the closure of the park to tourists.

Timer expressed gratitude towards officials for their earnest handling of the case but emphasized the necessity for continued vigilance. He urged law enforcement to address upcoming cases akin to organized crime, aiming to prosecute both masterminds and their accomplices.

Fascione remains optimistic about the Javan rhinos’ resilience, citing continued breeding and calf births despite poaching threats. Strengthening protections and eliminating poaching are pivotal, she asserts, emphasizing the significance of Sunendi’s sentencing as a stride towards safeguarding Indonesia’s rhino population.

Yet, lingering questions persist, notably regarding the ease with which poachers operated within the park for four years without apprehension, despite ranger patrols and extensive camera trap surveillance.