While most people think of wildlife vocalizations as simple bird songs or a dog’s bark, animal vocalizations are a large part of “bioacoustics”, the study of how sound is produced, distributed and received in animals. From very early and limited pilot studies we were able to distinguish several different vocalizations made by the rhinoceros, like the soft ‘moo’ call of the calf to the mother rhinoceros or the loud and aggressive trumpet call between unsure adult male rhinoceroses as tensions escalate. My main project with Javan rhinoceros was piloting research into their voices using automated microphones. I spent three summers in Indonesia working on projects to support Javan rhinoceros and the communities that border their habitat. The Javan rhinoceros is unique because an individual has not been in captivity for over 100 years, and the entire species has a total global population of less than 80 all residing in a single national park in Indonesia. I was a second year student when I first heard of the Javan rhinoceros, which like the other four species of rhinoceroses on Earth, are large mammals with horns atop their nose which are often the target of illegal hunting. My work with the Javan rhinoceros began when I was an undergraduate student at Cornell University in the United States, and was invited to participate in a summer-long project where I partnered with a veterinary student to gain international experience in conservation research. I am fortunate enough to work with some of the most threatened species in the world, including the Javan rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros sondiacus), which is considered to be the most critically endangered land mammal on the planet. But most days I read scientific literature, plan projects from afar, analyze data and communicate with other scientists from around the world on the status of our collaborations. Maybe even better, I could wear a lab coat and hold test tubes. When I was younger I pictured my life as being a biologist like Jane Goodall, traveling with a pair of binoculars through a rainforest wearing khaki and beat up sneakers. My name is Montana Stone, and I am a graduate student studying biology at the University of Manitoba, Canada. We tend to take these interactions for granted, but they can provide us with a different perspective: humanity is part of a larger interconnected ecosystem that all depends on each other. The article below, published within the framework of this international observance, is based on the personal reflection of one of our interns, with a reminder of how wildlife connects with us and the future of our planet.Įveryday our lives are touched by wildlife: students admire fierce tigers restrained in a zoo, office workers dodge rats in the subway, children secretly applaud the tenacity of a gecko climbing up the school’s glass window, or you feel soothed by a beautiful bird singing in the morning.
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