VietNamNet Bridge – It is expected that the skeleton of the dead Java rhino (rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus), the last one in Vietnam, would be reconstructed for displaying at the Cat Tien National Park.

Ha Thanh Tung, MA, Deputy Head of the Museology Division of the Central Highlands Biology Institute, talked with Saigon Tiep Thi about the reconstruction process.

Please tell us when would the reconstruction process finish?

The dead one horn rhino was found by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) which then preserved and handed over to the Cat Tien National Park in April 2010. We are making preliminary treatment with chemical substances to whiten the rhino’s bones and prevent the intrusion of bacteria which can spoil the bones; reconstructing the lost bones; using the materials such as inox, glue and screw to build up a completed skeleton.

It still depends on the weather conditions, but I hope that a reconstructed skeleton would be handed over to the Cat Tien national park by the end of December 2012.

You have said that some bones have been lost. Which ones then? What should we do to recreate them?

The rhino missed two neck vertebrae, the vertebrae in the hip, vertebral ribs, kneecap and some fingers bone. We are trying recreate the bones to generate the most possible perfect skeleton. After making thorough measurement, we will use composite material to cast the lost bones. The material will help recreate the bones in the conditions like the real bones.

Could you please tell us how long will the skeleton exist with the current technologies?

I once joined the team of reconstructing elephant skeleton in Dong Nai province. In this case, a lot of bones were lost, but we still could reconstruct a skeleton well.

Since the dead rhino was partially buried in the mud, the color would not be good. We need to reduce black bold by treating with alcohol and dry the bones under the sun for a long time.

I believe that if the skeleton can be preserved in a standardized environment, in vacuum cabinet, the life expectancy of the skeleton will be long.

Have the scientists met any difficulties in order to recreate a standardized skeleton, as we do not have any more rhino serve as a model?

It is true that the lack of a rhino to serve as a model is a difficulty. We will rely on hoofed animal grazing patterns, African rhinos and the remaining parts of the dead rhino to create good patterns. It is estimated that the rhino has 26-28 ribs (13-14 couples) with the length of 1.8 meters and the height of 1.5 meters.

 

The rumor that the powder of rhino’s horn can treat cancer has been cited as one of the most important reasons that has led to the extinction of three rhino populations in 2011, according to The Guardian. Only 13 rhinos were killed in 2007 in South Africa, while the figure jumped to 341 in 2011. It was because the rhino price has soared to 60,000 dollars per kilo, which is even more expensive than gold. The Cat Tien National Park is considering choosing another animal or vegetation to replace the rhino on its logo, after the last rhino has been found dead here. However, though WWF has announced the extinction of the one horn rhino in Vietnam, Vietnamese scientists still hope that more rhinos would still be found at the national park.

Source: SGTT, Tien phong, Dat Viet