Asian 'Unicorn' Photographed for First Time in Over 10 Years

For the first time in more than ten years, there has been a confirmed sighting of one of the rarest and most mysterious animals in the world: the saola of Laos and Vietnam.  The Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a.k.a. Laos, announced on September 15 that villagers in the central province of Bolikhamxay captured a saola and brought it back to their village in late August.  Sadly, the animal died several days later, but was photographed while still alive.

Saola are so secretive and so seldom seen -- no biologist has ever reported seeing one in the wild -- that they have been likened to unicorns, despite actually having two horns.  Today, saola occur only in dense forests of the Annamite Mountains along the Lao/Vietnamese border.  This species is classified as "Critically Endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) -- probably no more than a few hundred survive making it one of the most threatened large mammals on the planet.  There are none in zoos anywhere in the world.

The national representative for the IUCN Lao Programme, Ms Latsamay Sylvavong, noted, "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 [...] we need to improve protection of both the ecosystems [in Laos] and the special species they hold, like the saola.  Much needs to be done."

For the full article and a picture of the saola, click here.