WWF Concern as Rare Saola Close to Extinction
WWF charity officials are becoming increasingly concerned as the extremely rare Saola, or ‘Asian Unicorn’, gets pushed closer to extinction due to poaching in Vietnam and Laos. This beautiful creature, which was only discovered 20 years ago, is very similar to the antelope. It has two parallel horns and lives in the remote, mountainous region that splits the two countries.
The Saola became world famous back in 1992 when it became the first new mammal to be discovered on the planet for 50 years. They first came to light when WWF officials and the Vietnamese Ministry of Forestry found skulls of the unknown species in the area. Estimates of the species could be as low as 10 left on the planet, meaning the Saola is on the critically endangered species list, and very close to annihilation.
Poaching in these mountainous areas has long been a problem for many species of animal, with Vietnam having a taste for rare, wild-caught cuisine. The poachers themselves may not even be looking to catch the Saola, but they may be being ensnared in the many traps in the surrounding area. In one central Vietnamese park, an astounding 200 illegal hunting camps had been closed down, and 12,500 snares removed since early last year.
WWF Asian species expert, Barney Long, said –
Poachers go in and set 1,000 snares at a time. It’s high-intensity poaching which requires an appropriate response form anti-poaching teams. That’s extremely difficult to fund and logistically organise. An increasing number of people going to restaurants and buying splashy meals. If you’re trying to impress your business partners especially around festival seasons, then you take them out for expensive dinners. A great way to kind of show off and be a status symbol is to eat status meat.
The Saola’s habitat is a very remote, steep terrain, making them not only difficult to protect, but also track their movements. The same Annamite region has up to 42 different tribes and ethnic groups. No scientist has ever seen a Saola in person, only through camera traps.
Let’s hope it’s not too late for these beautiful animals and that the hunting of rare creatures in this region is curtailed before it’s too late.
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