Saola  (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis)

The astonishing discovery of this unusual, long-horned bovid in 1992 is generally considered to be the greatest animal find of recent times (3) (5). Not only is it the first large mammal to be discovered since the Kouprey (Bos sauveli) in 1936, but it is also so different from any previously known species that a separate genus was constructed for it (2) (6). Both males and females have long, slender horns that are up to 52 centimetres in length, almost straight but with a slight curve backwards, and which are thought to be used for protection against predators and possibly in intraspecific conflict (2) (3). The short glossy coat ranges from a rich chestnut brown to almost black, generally being paler on the belly than the back, with a thin black line extending down the spine and white patches on the side of the neck of some individuals (2) (3). The tail is split into three bands of colour - brown at the top, cream in the middle, and black towards the end, tipped in a fluffy tassel (2). A cream-coloured band marks the rump, and white bands encircle the lower legs, just above the hooves (3). The brown face has a somewhat variable pattern of white spots and slashes, the most noticeable of which are the long, thin stripes above each eye, giving the appearance of eyebrows (2).

The entire range of the saola lies within a narrow area of forests along the northern and central Annamite mountain range, on the border between Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic (2) (6). While most records come from south of the Song Ca River in Vietnam, populations to the north have also been found (2).

The saola typically inhabits wet, evergreen, broadleaf forests, usually between 400 to 1,000 metres, along steep river valleys (7). Areas of low human disturbance are preferred but swidden fields are often entered (8). The species appears to occupy higher elevations during the wet season when upper streams have plenty of water, and lowlands during the dry season when the mountain streams have dried up (2) (9).

Due to the saola's relatively recent discovery and the remoteness of its range, little information on this elusive species' behaviour has been gathered. Locals have said that the species is generally solitary, although there have been a few reports that the saola sometimes travels in small groups (8). Most of the data on reproduction comes from a single pregnant female from northern Lao. Calculations made from the size of this female's foetus, together with all other data to date, suggest that the saola is a seasonal breeder, mating between late August and mid-November. If this is the case, births would be timed to coincide with the onset of the monsoon, somewhere around April, May and June in northern Lao (2) (8).

A single captive individual has provided the source of most behavioural information on this species. The individual was primarily diurnal or crepuscular, with activity often concentrated early in the morning and late in the afternoon (2). The saola browses on the fleshy herb layer of riverside vegetation (8).

After having only relatively recently been discovered, the saola is now the focus of scientific attention for another reason, for being in grave danger of extinction. The species only has a small range where it is increasingly threatened by hunting and habitat loss (1). Snare-traps and hunting dogs are used to capture the saola, whose meat is sold in affluent urban centres. In the past, hunters have also tried to capture live saola because of intense interest from the world's scientific community (3). Sadly, all of the 13 known saola captured and held in captivity to date were badly kept and with the exception of two, which were released back into the wild, died within five months (2) (7). Habitat destruction poses another threat, with forests being fragmented by infrastructure development and shifting cultivation (2) (7). In Lao, the threat of hunting is exacerbated by the creation of logging roads, which fragment the remaining forest patches and make these animals more accessible to hunters (1) (2). In particular, the new Ho Chi Minh Road is a cause for considerable concern, since it slices through the length of the species' range in Vietnam and has feeder roads branching into Lao People's Democratic Republic (1).

The saola is found in a number of protected areas in which conservation work is underway including the Vu Quang Nature Reserve, where the Ministry of Forestry in Vietnam has now cancelled its logging operations (9) and the Pu Huong Nature Reserve, where surveys have been undertaken (7). Within the Pu Mat National Park, many surveys on the distribution and ecology of the saola were carried out between 1998 and 2003, as part of the Social Forestry and Nature Conservation (SFNC) project (7). The Ministry of Forestry in Vietnam has also issued a ban on further capture, trade, or holding of these rare animals, given their apparent inability to survive captivity (2).

The WWF Greater Mekong Programme has been actively involved in the conservation of this rare species, setting up initiatives like the Vu Quang Project, which endeavoured to improve the management of the nature reserve and support the livelihoods of local people (5). WWF has also been active in establishing three new adjoining protected areas for the saola in the southern part of its range, where it is actively working with local authorities and governments to protect the species. In 2003, WWF produced a documentary showing the plight of the saola, which was shown on Vietnamese television (6), and a research programme on the saola, undertaken by WWF, is ongoing, in an effort to design a survey and monitoring protocol for the species (8). Despite concerted conservation efforts, however, the future of this unusual bovid remains uncertain, and an ongoing battle to save it now ensues. Having evaded detection for so long, it would be a great shame to science, and to nature, if such a unique species should be lost forever.

For more information on the saola see:

• WWF Saola publication: Introducing the Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis):
  www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/forests/publications/factsheets_/index.cfm?uNewsID=22874

Authenticated (21/11/07) by Dr Barney Long, World Wildlife Fund.
http://panda.org/greatermekong and
http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildplaces/flm/