A rare animal called the Saola has been caught in Laos.
An extremely rare animal known as the "Asian unicorn" -
in spite of having two horns - has been caught by villagers in
Laos.
No biologist has ever reported seeing the rare Saola in the wild
and there are none of them in captivity.
The animal was discovered in the forests of South-East Asia as
recently as 1992.
There have only been a few photos of the Saola taken so far, by
villagers and automatic camera traps.
The Saola - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis - is believed to
inhabit the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam, and that is
where villagers from Laos' central province of Bolikhamxay caught
the unfortunate adult male earlier this August.
They brought the mammal back to the village.
Surprised by the odd-looking animal, the villagers took a few
photos and notified the Lao authorities. But by the time a team
from the Bolikhamxay Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office
reached the remote location, the Saola was dead.
"The death of this Saola is unfortunate," said a spokesperson of
the provincial conservation unit of Bolikhamxay province.
"But at least it confirms an area where it still occurs and the
government will immediately move to strengthen conservation efforts
there."
In 1992, biologists declared the Saola a news species after
analysis of its physical features and DNA.
It resembles the antelopes of North Africa, but is believed to
be more closely related to wild cattle.
The Saola is listed as critically endangered on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of
threatened species. Only a handful have reportedly been sighted,
mainly by the local population.
"At best a few hundred survive, but it may be only a few dozen.
The situation is critical," said Pierre Comizzoli, a veterinarian
with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and a member of
the IUCN Saola Working Group.
The technical team took the carcass to the provincial capital
Pakxan for further analysis.
"Our lack of knowledge of Saola biology is a major constraint to
efforts to conserve it," noted Dr Comizzoli.
"This can be a major step forward in understanding this
remarkable and mysterious species. It's clear that further
awareness-raising efforts about the special status of Saola are
needed but Saola doesn't have much time left."
The Lao authorities have urged villagers not to capture any
Saola, and if they do, immediately release the animal.
"This incident highlights the importance of Laos to global
wildlife conservation. Saola and several other rare endemic species
are found almost nowhere else in the world," said Latsamay
Sylavong, the national representative for the IUCN Lao
programme.
"Our knowledge of them is limited, and in Laos we need to
improve protection of both the ecosystems and the special species
they hold, like the Saola. Much needs to be done."
