The Javan rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of
five extant rhinoceroses. Its horn is usually less than 25 cm
(10 inches), smaller than those of the other rhino species. Once the
most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses, the Javan rhinoceros ranged from
the islands of Java and Sumatra, throughout Southeast Asia, and into
India and China. The species is critically endangered, with only one
known population in the wild, and no individuals in captivity. It is
possibly the rarest large mammal on earth, with a population of as few
as 40 in Ujung Kulon National Park on Java in Indonesia. The decline of
the Javan rhinoceros is attributed to poaching, primarily for their
horns, which are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. The
Javan rhino can live approximately 30–45 years in the wild. It
historically inhabited lowland rain forest, wet grasslands and large
floodplains. The Javan rhino is mostly solitary, except for courtship
and offspring-rearing, though groups may occasionally congregate near
wallows and salt licks. Aside from humans, adults have no predators in
their range. Scientists and conservationists rarely study the animals
directly due to their extreme rarity and the danger of interfering with
such an endangered species. Researchers rely on camera traps and fecal
samples to gauge health and behavior. Consequently, the Javan rhino is
the least studied of all rhino species.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_rhinoceros>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
French Revolution: Meeting on a tennis court near the Palace of
Versailles, members of France's Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath,
pledging not to separate until a new constitution was established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_Court_Oath>
1862:
Barbu Catargiu, the first Prime Minister of Romania, was
assassinated after denying people the right of assembly to commemorate
the Revolutions of 1848.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbu_Catargiu>
1895:
The Kiel Canal (pictured), crossing the base of the Jutland
peninsula and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, was
officially opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel_Canal>
1921:
Workers at the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in the city of
Chennai, India, began a four-month strike.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1921_Buckingham_and_Carnatic_Mills_Strike>
2009:
During the Iranian election protests, the death of Neda Agha-
Soltan was captured on video and widely distributed on the Internet,
making it "probably the most widely witnessed death in human history".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Neda_Agha-Soltan>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
demagogue:
(pejorative) An orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or
exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demagogue>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The well taught philosophic mind To all compassion gives; Casts round
the world an equal eye, And feels for all that lives.
--Anna Letitia Barbauld
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anna_Letitia_Barbauld>