This Is One of Earth’s Rarest Mammals, and It’s Been Spotted for the First Time in More Than a Decade
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HANOI, Vietnam (TheBlaze/AP) — One can imagine how rare an antelope-size mammal would need to be in order to go unseen for more than a decade. Such was the case for the saola, considered one of the rarest mammals on earth.
This is a photo of a Saolao taken in 1993. It was one of two Saola captured alive in central Vietnam, but both died months later in captivity. Saola, one of the rarest and most threatened mammals on earth has been caught on camera in Vietnam for the first time in 15 years i September in central Vietnam, renewing hope for the recovery of the species, international conservation group WWF said Wednesday (AP/WWF)
The long-horned ox was spotted though by a camera trap in a forest in central Vietnam, making it the first time in 15 years that the saola has been seen.
In the image taken in September, the saola appears to walk through dense foliage at the edge of the camera’s range. Conservation group WWF released the image along with a statement Wednesday.
This image taken in September with a camera trap shows the rare saola. (Image source: WWF-Vietnam)
“When our team first looked at the photos we couldn’t believe our eyes. Saola are the holy grail for South-east Asian conservationists so there was a lot of excitement,” Dr. Van Ngoc Thinh, WWF-Vietnam’s country director, said in a statement. “This is a breath-taking discovery and renews hope for the recovery of the species.”
The animal was discovered in remote mountains near Laos in 1992 when a joint team of WWF and Vietnam’s forest control agency found a skull with unusual horns in a hunter’s home. The find proved to be the first large mammal new to science in more than 50 years, according to the WWF.
Two saola were captured in central Vietnam in 1993 but died in captivity after several months. Take a look at footage of the elusive creature in captivity:
The last sighting of a saola in the wild was in 1998, according to Dang Dinh Nguyen, director of a saola nature reserve in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Nam.
In the area where the saola was photographed, WWF has recruited forest guards locally to remove snares and battle illegal hunting, the greatest threat to saolas’ survival, the statement said. The snares had been set largely to catch other animals, such as deer and civets, which are a delicacy in Vietnam.
Twenty years since they were first known to science, the elusive mammals remain hard to detect and little is known about them.
At best, no more than few hundred, and maybe only a few dozen, live in the remote, dense forests along Vietnam’s border with Laos, WWF said.
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When ever we hear about the discovery or re-discovery of a large mammal, it
reminds us that we have yet to learn about all walks of life that we share this
planet with. The following is the story of the rare and elusive Saola which has
been recently photographed for the first time in the 21 Century:
Hanoi, Vietnam – The saola, one of the rarest and most threatened mammals on the planet, has been photographed in Vietnam for the first time in the 21st century. The enigmatic species was caught on film in September by a camera trap set by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Vietnamese government’s Forest Protection Department in the Central Annamite mountains.
“When our team first looked at the photos we couldn’t believe our eyes. Saola are the holy grail for South-east Asian conservationists so there was a lot of excitement,” said Dr. Van Ngoc Thinh, WWF-Vietnam’s Country Director. “This is a breath-taking discovery and renews hope for the recovery of the species.”
A cousin of cattle but recalling an antelope in appearance, the critically endangered saola, dubbed the Asian unicorn because it is so rarely seen, is recognized by two parallel horns with sharp ends which can reach 50 inches in length.
“This is a monumental find and comes at a critical moment in time for saola conservation,” said Dr. Barney Long, Director, Species Conservation Program, WWF. “It’s a huge reward for decades of tireless work by the provincial government who established the saola reserve, community snare removal teams and WWF biologists. Now it’s time to double our efforts to recover this iconic species.”
The last confirmed record of a saola in the wild was in 1999 from camera-trap photos taken in the Laos province of Bolikhamxay. In 2010, villagers in Bolikhamxay captured a saola. The animal subsequently died.
“In Vietnam, the last sighting of a saola in the wild was in 1998,” said Dang Dinh Nguyen, Deputy Head of Quang Nam Forest Protection Department and Director of Quang Nam’s Saola Nature Reserve. “This is an historic moment in Vietnam’s efforts to protect our extraordinary biodiversity, and provides powerful evidence of the effectiveness of conservation efforts in critical saola habitat.”
In the area where the saola was photographed, WWF’s Preservation of Carbon Sinks and Biodiversity Conservation (CarBi) Program has implemented an innovative law enforcement model in which Forest Guards are recruited from local communities, and co-managed by WWF and Vietnamese government counterparts, to remove snares and tackle illegal hunting, the greatest threat to the saola’s survival.
“Saola are caught in wire snares set by hunters to catch other animals, such as deer and civets, which are largely destined for the lucrative illegal wildlife trade,” said Dr. Van Ngoc. “Since 2011, forest guard patrols in the CarBi area have removed more than 30,000 snares from this critical saola habitat and destroyed more than 600 illegal hunters’ camps. Confirmation of the presence of the saola in this area is a testament to the dedicated and tireless efforts of these forest guards.”
The saola was discovered in 1992 by a joint team from Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and WWF surveying the forests of Vu Quang, near Vietnam's border with Laos. The team found a skull with unusual horns in a hunter's home. Proven to be the first large mammal new to science in more than 50 years, the find was one of the most spectacular species discoveries of the 20th century.
Twenty years on, the animal’s elusive nature has prevented scientists from making a precise population estimate. At best, no more than a few hundred, and maybe only a few tens, survive in the remote, dense forests along the Vietnam-Laos border.
The saola is an icon for biodiversity in the Annamite mountains that run along the border of Vietnam and Laos. The area boasts an incredible diversity of rare species, with many found nowhere else in the world. In addition to the discovery of the saola, two species of deer, the large-antlered muntjac and the Truong Son muntjac, were discovered in the Annamite’s forests in 1994 and 1997 respectively.
The saola sighting confirms the species’ persistence in Vietnam’s Central Annamite mountains and will help WWF and partners in the search for other individuals, and in targeting the essential protection needed. WWF is also providing alternative livelihood options for communities bordering the Saola Nature Reserves to help reduce poaching and provide much needed income to villagers. This work is a critical complement to law enforcement and protection efforts, and will help wildlife across the Central Annamites recover.
Source: http://worldwildlife.org/press-releases/re...wfnews-20131112
Hanoi, Vietnam – The saola, one of the rarest and most threatened mammals on the planet, has been photographed in Vietnam for the first time in the 21st century. The enigmatic species was caught on film in September by a camera trap set by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Vietnamese government’s Forest Protection Department in the Central Annamite mountains.
“When our team first looked at the photos we couldn’t believe our eyes. Saola are the holy grail for South-east Asian conservationists so there was a lot of excitement,” said Dr. Van Ngoc Thinh, WWF-Vietnam’s Country Director. “This is a breath-taking discovery and renews hope for the recovery of the species.”
A cousin of cattle but recalling an antelope in appearance, the critically endangered saola, dubbed the Asian unicorn because it is so rarely seen, is recognized by two parallel horns with sharp ends which can reach 50 inches in length.
“This is a monumental find and comes at a critical moment in time for saola conservation,” said Dr. Barney Long, Director, Species Conservation Program, WWF. “It’s a huge reward for decades of tireless work by the provincial government who established the saola reserve, community snare removal teams and WWF biologists. Now it’s time to double our efforts to recover this iconic species.”
The last confirmed record of a saola in the wild was in 1999 from camera-trap photos taken in the Laos province of Bolikhamxay. In 2010, villagers in Bolikhamxay captured a saola. The animal subsequently died.
“In Vietnam, the last sighting of a saola in the wild was in 1998,” said Dang Dinh Nguyen, Deputy Head of Quang Nam Forest Protection Department and Director of Quang Nam’s Saola Nature Reserve. “This is an historic moment in Vietnam’s efforts to protect our extraordinary biodiversity, and provides powerful evidence of the effectiveness of conservation efforts in critical saola habitat.”
In the area where the saola was photographed, WWF’s Preservation of Carbon Sinks and Biodiversity Conservation (CarBi) Program has implemented an innovative law enforcement model in which Forest Guards are recruited from local communities, and co-managed by WWF and Vietnamese government counterparts, to remove snares and tackle illegal hunting, the greatest threat to the saola’s survival.
“Saola are caught in wire snares set by hunters to catch other animals, such as deer and civets, which are largely destined for the lucrative illegal wildlife trade,” said Dr. Van Ngoc. “Since 2011, forest guard patrols in the CarBi area have removed more than 30,000 snares from this critical saola habitat and destroyed more than 600 illegal hunters’ camps. Confirmation of the presence of the saola in this area is a testament to the dedicated and tireless efforts of these forest guards.”
The saola was discovered in 1992 by a joint team from Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and WWF surveying the forests of Vu Quang, near Vietnam's border with Laos. The team found a skull with unusual horns in a hunter's home. Proven to be the first large mammal new to science in more than 50 years, the find was one of the most spectacular species discoveries of the 20th century.
Twenty years on, the animal’s elusive nature has prevented scientists from making a precise population estimate. At best, no more than a few hundred, and maybe only a few tens, survive in the remote, dense forests along the Vietnam-Laos border.
The saola is an icon for biodiversity in the Annamite mountains that run along the border of Vietnam and Laos. The area boasts an incredible diversity of rare species, with many found nowhere else in the world. In addition to the discovery of the saola, two species of deer, the large-antlered muntjac and the Truong Son muntjac, were discovered in the Annamite’s forests in 1994 and 1997 respectively.
The saola sighting confirms the species’ persistence in Vietnam’s Central Annamite mountains and will help WWF and partners in the search for other individuals, and in targeting the essential protection needed. WWF is also providing alternative livelihood options for communities bordering the Saola Nature Reserves to help reduce poaching and provide much needed income to villagers. This work is a critical complement to law enforcement and protection efforts, and will help wildlife across the Central Annamites recover.
Source: http://worldwildlife.org/press-releases/re...wfnews-20131112
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