Vietnam: Two stations built to protect Sao la

VietNamNet Bridge 15 Feb 12;

Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue have started to build two conservation stations in forests inhabited by the Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), one of the world's rarest mammals, in A Luoi District.

The construction, part of the "Annamites Carbon Sinks and Biodiversity" project funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through World Wild Fund, is aimed at protecting the Tay Saola and A Tep nature reserves which are home to the Saola.

Deputy Chairman of Thua Thien – Hue People's Committee Le Truong Luu said the stations would act as bases for officials and rangers who worked in the reserves.

They are expected to improve conservation capacity and recover forest diversification in the province.

Localities in the project area have been actively implementing conservation measures, such as preventing hunting and community-based forest management.

The Saola is a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite ranges of Viet Nam and Laos. It is reported that there are about 200 living in the mountains and forests of Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Nam.

Authorities look to save Sao la

Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue have started to build two conservation stations in forests inhabited by the Sao la (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), one of the world's rarest mammals, in A Luoi District.

The construction, part of the "Annamites Carbon Sinks and Biodiversity" project funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through World Wild Fund, is aimed at protecting the Tay Sao la and A Tep nature reserves which are home to the Sao la.

Deputy Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Le Truong Luu said the stations would act as bases for officials and rangers who worked in the reserves.

They are expected to improve conservation capacity and recover forest diversification in the province.

Localities in the project area have been actively implementing conservation measures, such as preventing hunting and community-based forest management.

The Sao la is a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite ranges of Viet Nam and Laos. It is reported that there are about 200 living in the mountains and forests of central Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Nam provinces.

Fight to save threatened Asian ‘unicorn’
SAPA IOL 15 Feb 12;

Hanoi - A rare animal known as the Asian unicorn is under threat from loss of forest habitat, and wildlife officials are trying to protect it in Vietnam's central forests.

One of the world's rarest mammals, the saola is a large bovine with long, straight horns that is thought to live only in the Annamite Mountains between Vietnam and Laos.

The species was first defined in 1992, after three skulls were discovered in hunter's homes, and has become a symbol of biodiversity in the region. The saola is shy and does not survive long in captivity.

The popular name for it among hill people in Laos translates to “polite animal,” because it moves quietly through the forest and does not enter cultivated lands.

The antelope-like animal, sometimes called a unicorn because of its elusiveness and gentle nature, has never been sighted in the wild by a scientist.

Authorities are building forest stations for rangers in Vietnam's Thua Thien-Hue province to protect the saola, local official Le Truong Luu told dpa.

“We expect the project will help preserve the saola and create jobs for people in the region,” he said.

Germany has provided 7 million euros to the effort to protect the Tay Saola and A Tep forest reserves.

Its numbers have been declining due to hunting and habitat loss. Estimates for those left in the wild vary from 70 to 1,000. There are likely fewer than 500, according to the World Wildlife Fund. - Sapa-dpa