Helen Pidd and agencies guardian.co.uk 16 Sep 10;
Rare saola caught by villagers and shown to conservationists was thought to be one of only a few hundred left in the wild
It is one of the rarest animals in the world, a horned beast sighted so rarely it is nicknamed "the Asian unicorn".
So when villagers in a remote region of Laos became the first people in a decade to spot a saola they were keen to keep the antelope-like creature, which has large white streaks of fur that look like eyebrows.
But in their enthusiasm to protect it they may have killed the animal. It died last month after a few days in captivity, conservationists said.
The critically endangered mammal is found in the mountains of Vietnam and Laos. It was discovered in 1992.
The saola looks similar to the antelope of North Africa but is more closely related to wild cattle and is likened to the mythical unicorn because of its rarity.
It has never been seen by conservation experts in the wild and the last confirmed sighting was from automated cameras in 1999.
The species is listed as critically endangered, with just a few hundred thought to exist in the wild. There are none in zoos and almost nothing is known about how to keep them in captivity, meaning if they vanish in the wild they will be extinct.
The Lao government said villagers in the country's central province of Bolikhamxay captured the saola in late August and brought it to their village.
When news of the capture reached the authorities a team was sent, advised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to examine and release the animal.
But the adult male saola died shortly after the team reached the remote village. It was photographed while still alive.
The IUCN's saola expert William Robichaud said:
"We hope the information gained from the incident can be used to ensure that this is not the last saola anyone has a chance to see."
The provincial conservation unit of Bolikhamxay province said the animal's death was "unfortunate" but the incident confirmed an area where it was still found and the government would immediately strengthen conservation efforts there.
Dr Pierre Comizzoli, a member of the IUCN saola working group, said study of the animal's carcass could yield some good.
"Our lack of knowledge of saola biology is a major constraint to efforts to conserve it. This can be a major step forward in understanding this remarkable and mysterious species."
Rare antelope-like mammal caught in Asia
Katia Moskvitch BBC News 16 Sep 10;
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.
Unfortunate death
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."
New species
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.
Not much time
"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."
Asian ‘Unicorn’ sighted for first time in over ten years
IUCN 16 Sep 10;
For the first time in more than ten years, there has been a confirmed sighting of one of the rarest and most enigmatic animals in the world, the Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) from the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam. The Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (also known as Laos) has announced that in late August villagers in the central province of Bolikhamxay captured a Saola and brought it back to their village.
When news of the Saola's capture reached Lao authorities, the Bolikhamxay Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office immediately sent a technical team, advised by the IUCN Saola Working Group and the Lao Programme of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), to examine the Saola and release it. Unfortunately, the animal, an adult male, weakened by the ordeal of several days in captivity, died shortly after the team reached the remote village. The animal was photographed while still alive.
"The government of Lao PDR and WCS are to be commended for their rapid response and efforts to save this animal. We hope the information gained from the incident can be used to ensure that this is not the last Saola anyone has a chance to see," says William Robichaud, Coordinator of the IUCN Saola Working Group.
This is the first confirmed record of the species since two photographs of wild Saola were taken in Laos by automatic camera traps in 1999.
The Saola was first discovered in 1992, in Vietnam's Vu Quang Nature Reserve, near the country's border with Laos. With their long horns and white facial markings, the Saola resembles the antelopes of North Africa, but is more closely related to wild cattle.
Saola are secretive and so seldom seen (no biologist has ever reported seeing one in the wild) that they have been likened to unicorns, in spite of the fact that they have two horns. It’s been speculated that a Chinese myth of a magical unicorn, the qilin, may have been derived from familiarity with Saola in prehistoric China, although the species does not occur there today, if it ever did.
The Saola is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ and probably no more than a few hundred exist . With none in zoos and almost nothing known about how to maintain them in captivity, extinction of Saola in the wild would mean its extinction everywhere.
"The death of this Saola is unfortunate,” says 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."
The animal was reportedly found in the village's sacred forest in remote Xaychamphon District, but it is not clear why the villagers took it into captivity. After its death, the technical team took the carcass to Pakxan, the provincial capital, where biologists from WCS and the Lao government preserved all parts for analysis, future study and reference. This is the first Saola specimen to be so completely preserved.
"Study of the carcass can yield some good from this unfortunate incident. Our lack of knowledge of Saola biology is a major constraint to efforts to conserve it,” says Dr. Pierre Comizzoli, a veterinarian with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and a member of the IUCN Saola Working Group. “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 the Saola doesn't have much time left. At best a few hundred survive, but it may be only a few dozen.The situation is critical.”
The Lao Department of Forestry (DoF) and provincial and district authorities are urging villagers in the area not to capture Saola, and immediately release any they might encounter.
"As a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and as outlined in our National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, Laos is committed to conserving biodiversity, and we want to give special attention to 'flagship species', such as the Saola," says Bouaphanh Phanthavong, Director of DoF's Division of Forest Resources Conservation and a member of the IUCN Saola Working Group.
"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,” says Ms. 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".