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Saola
The saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), dubbed the "Asian unicorn," is a critically endangered bovid discovered in 1992 in Vietnam’s Vu Quang Nature Reserve, the first large mammal new to science in over 50 years. Found only in the Annamite Mountains along the Vietnam-Laos border, it inhabits dense evergreen forests at 400–1,000 m. This elusive creature, with an estimated population of fewer than 750 (possibly 20–100), faces threats from hunting, habitat loss, and low genetic diversity.
Saolas stand 85–90 cm tall, weigh 80–100 kg, and have a chocolate-brown coat with white facial markings and a black dorsal stripe. Both sexes sport long, straight horns (35–50 cm) and large maxillary glands for scent marking. They are herbivorous, eating leaves and shrubs, and are diurnal, active in mornings and late afternoons. Typically solitary, they form small groups of 2–3. Breeding occurs from August to November, with a single calf born after an 8-month gestation.
Conservation efforts, led by the Saola Working Group, include snare removal (over 26,651 snares) and plans for a breeding program. No saolas are in captivity, and they remain unseen by biologists in the wild, known only through camera traps and local reports.