Yogyakarta, Oct. 17 -- Indonesia will preserve sperm and eggs from the critically endangered Javan rhinoceros in a biobank to support assisted reproductive technologies, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the forestry minister said on Friday.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the program aims to strengthen conservation efforts and help boost the Javan rhino population, which is now limited to a single habitat in Ujung Kulon National Park (TNUK), West Java.

"We will preserve their sperm and eggs in a biobank for future fertilization using assisted reproductive technology," Antoni told an audience at Gadjah Mada University's Faculty of Forestry in Yogyakarta.

He said the initiative would complement existing conservation strate...