Saola Endangered Animals | Slide Mouse
The saola pseudoryx nghetinhensis is one of the rarest large animals on earth.
Saola endangered animals. Saola critically endangered species and beloved animals at risk cbs news. It is rarely seen and estimated to be under 250 individuals remaining. The saola pseudoryx nghetinhensis also called siola vu quang ox spindlehorn asian unicorn or infrequently the vu quang bovid is one of the world s rarest large mammals a forest dwelling bovine found only in the annamite range of vietnam and laos related to cattle goats and antelopes the species was described following a discovery of remains in 1992 in vũ quang nature reserve by. The animal is rarely studied making population surveys non existent.
The last known population estimate was performed way back in 2005. A saola found in a snare in lao pdr in 2010 villagers took the animal to their village where it died a few days later. Iucn critically endangered large antlered muntjac muntiacus vuquangensis dead in a snare in nakai nam theun national protected area lao pdr. This critically endangered species lives in the annamite mountains of vietnam and laos where their biggest threat is hunting they get caught in the snares set out for other animals.
None exist in captivity and this rarely seen mammal is already critically endangered. Saola were first discovered in vietnam in may 1992. The main threats to the saola are hunting and fragmentation of its range through habitat loss. The saola one of the most critically endangered species in the world and on the iucn red list is a very rare and distinct species that was discovered only around a couple of decades before in may 1992 often called the asian unicorn.
They re also included on the zoological society of london s edge evolutionary distinct globally endangered list as well as its list of the 100 most at risk animals. Gwc supports and works alongside the saola working group swg and other local partners to conserve the saola and its habitat. The saola is one of the rarest animals on the planet. Since then the elusive animal has only been documented in the.
Local villagers report that saola are often caught accidentally in snares set in the forest for wild boar sambar or muntjac deer the snares are set for subsistence use and crop protection. It is the sole species of a genus of bovids and has been known to science only since 1992. Scientists have categorically documented saola in the wild on only four occasions to date.