A group of scientists at the Central Highlands Biological Institute has claimed that some bone parts of the last Javan rhino in Vietnam, which was shot by poachers in Cat Tien National Park last year, have disappeared during the process of restoring the animal’s whole skeleton.
“Five hipbones, two cervical vertebras, three ribs, teeth, nails, and a kneecap of the animal have vanished,” said Ha Thanh Tung, vice head of the institute’s museum.

“However, this does not have much effect on the process of restoring the skeleton,” Tung claimed.

The process is expected to be completed by late December.

The museum’s staff is washing the skeleton with chemical substances before arranging the deceased animal’s unconnected bones into a full skeleton.

The skeleton will be put on display at Cat Tien National Park, in an effort aimed at raising public awareness of protecting the critically endangered animal.

Last month, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced that the Javan Rhino was extinct in Vietnam.

The one-horned Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticusare) was believed to be extinct in mainland Asia, until a small population was discovered in Cat Tien National Park in 1988.

The species is now believed to have a single population with less than 50 members left on the island of Java, Indonesia, which gives the animal its name.

Source: Tuoitre