Countdown to extinction, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni (Groves, 1965)

The Bornean subspecies of the Sumatran rhino is at imminent risk of extinction. During the last quarter century, concerted efforts have been made to counteract that risk. Despite early efforts that focussed on ex situ conservation, the situation did not improve and consequently the international Asian rhino conservation strategy changed its focus in the mid 1990s to in situ conservation. This strategy appears to have stabilised the situation for the present. This thesis examines the reasons for lack of progress in Bornean rhino population recovery. It argues that the current population stasis is unsatisfactory, and that a far more comprehensive analysis of the situation is required, one that accounts for, in broad terms, the human dimension to conservation in a regional context where human population density and growth, modification of moist tropical forest habitat, poverty, demand for animal parts used in folk medicines‚ÄövÑvÆand future challenges such as global climate change‚ÄövÑvÆconspire to perpetuate pressures conducive to the subspecies' extinction. The thesis concludes by identifying the need for a more detailed and comprehensive conservation planning process‚ÄövÑvÆopen to peer review, and which identifies options for inclusion of human development issues‚ÄövÑvÆto be included in any future revision of the current 1997 Action Plan for Asian Rhinos, published by the IUCN's Asian Rhino Action Group.