The Saola, also known as the Vu Quang ox or the “Asian unicorn”, is a forest-dwelling, antelope-like bovine from Eastern Indochina. They are also, unfortunately, one of the rarest mammals on Earth. Villagers have hunted the fragile species to near extinction – the Saolas gentle and calm nature means they are also generally unafraid of Asian villagers, who will kill them on sight in order to display the horns in their homes - a symbol of honor.
In fact, no Saola has been sighted in the wild since 1998, until now. Earlier this September, a photograph was finally taken of a Saola in the forests of central Vietnam, although the news article doesn’t specify whether the photo was taken by a human or by trail cam. In the area where the Saola was discovered, forest guards have been tasked with removing snares and cracking down on illegal hunting, both of which are two of the largest threats towards this species.
If you are interested in learning more about the Saola, and are interested in saving the rapidly-declining species, please visit the Saola Working Group at www.savethesaola.org
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