Baluran National Park

Summer is dry season in East Java and water was limited to a few locations in the park. I climbed into a tree by a pond early that afternoon and watched as all sorts of animals came by to quench their thirst at the end of the day. I sat in the tree till the sun set and sketched the wildlife. The first animals to appear were the wild boars. Tentatively they zigzagged their way down to the waterline. Once they heard the water buffalo arriving, they quickly bumbled back into the forest. The water buffalos savored their long sips and waded in the water to cool down. Kijiang, or barking deer, would come by and drink hesitantly from the source. Many times a kijiang would bark suddenly, and a group of fellow deer would scatter frantically. The would return shortly after the false alarm. The male kijiang would cover themselves in mud and sniff females' bums, let out a big yawn-like 'ahh' mating call. Indeed, it was high mating season for the kijiang. Wild peacocks with their shiny green tail feathers patrolled the side of the pond. Bantaeng, which look like chestnut brown buffalo with white rears and legs made a cameo appearance. One curious calm water buffalo came surprisingly close to me under the tree. Startled by my presence, he kicked and retreated to the other side of the pond. (see top photo... rare sighting of Bantaeng)

Earlier that day, I wandered into the office of a British field biologist.  He was studying the interactions of the animals in the reservation. Bantaeng skulls lined the shelves and the floor as he was busy measuring the teeth and marks on the jaws. He explained how, like trees, their teeth have rings inside, and the width of the rings indicate the animal's rate of growth and health. "There are only 5000 Bantaeng in the world. Part of the problem in protecting them now is that their chief predator is another endangered species, the Javan Wild Dog.  It's pretty gruesome how the dogs bring down a Bantaeng. In an unrelenting pack, they attack the Bantaeng's head and rear.. he then went on to explain Bantaeng behavior. "The females tend to stay together while the males are braver and more migratory. During the wet season, when there is sufficient water around the park, the animals head into the hills..."