Wolves are finally returning to the Czech Republic after disappearing a century ago.

Good news for conservationists and animal lovers out there! According to Radio Prague, a wolf was recently captured on a trail camera in the Czech wilderness. Wolves were run out of the Bohemian area nearly a century ago. The mountainous areas and former military zones in Bohemia seem to be providing the animals an ideal breeding ground, and Czech environmental groups are optimistic that wolves will be making a comeback in the region.

Unfortunately, not everyone seems to be keen on the idea of wolves one day thriving in the area. Environmentalist Miroslav Kutal explains, "Wolves are a very controversial animal. On one hand, they are adored by a lot of people. On the other hand, they are a source of hatred among other people." For now, Kutal says media responses are mostly positive. While poaching is a concern, a return of wolves to the area would help regulate the growing deer population.

World’s rarest mammal, the Saola, sighted in Vietnam earlier this year.

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