The rarity of the saola, which resembles an African antelope, gives it mythical status.
Scientists have confirmed the first sighting in more than a decade of one of the world’s rarest animals - the saola, sometimes called Asia’s “unicorn.”
The animal was captured by villagers in Laos in August, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The villagers took the saola back to their village in Bolikhamxay province and Laotian conservation authorities sent a team to check on the animal. The creature, likely weakened from its time in captivity, died shortly after that team arrived.
"The death of this Saola is unfortunate,” the Provincial Conservation Unit of Bolikhamxay province said in the IUCN statement. “But at least it confirms an area where it still occurs and the government will immediately move to strengthen conservation efforts there."
This was the first confirmed sighting of a saola since 1999, when remotely triggered cameras took images of one in Laos.
First discovered in 1992, the saola is considered critically endangered, its numbers so few that biologists have never witnessed one in the wild. Fewer than a few hundred saolas are believed to roam the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam. There are none in captivity.
The rarity of the saola, which resembles an African antelope but it more closely related genetically to wild cattle, gives it mythical status in some circles, according to the IUCN. The saola, although it has two horns, may be the basis of the mythical Chinese unicorn, the qilin, although it is unknown if saolas ever existed in China.
The carcass of the saola recovered in the Laotian village was being preserved for study, officials said.
"Study of the carcass can yield some good from this unfortunate incident. Our lack of knowledge of Saola biology is a major constraint to efforts to conserve it,” says Dr. Pierre Comizzoli, a veterinarian with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and a member of the IUCN Saola Working Group. “This can be a major step forward in understanding this remarkable and mysterious species.”
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What in the world made the villagers think it was a good idea to first capture an extremely rare animal, and then starve it, effectively putting and end to any possibility of breeding the animal in a zoo for eventual release and repopulation? I mean, come on! How much common sense does it require to provide an herbivore with some grass, hay, and other vegetable matter so that it keeps itself alive? The irresponsibility is heartbreaking.
Wow...Poor thing....Humans discust me...we are a plague..
Wow, Christina. I'm a Christian and you just completely put me to shame. You're the kind of ignorant person and reason most don't want to accept Him. You're a real hero, aren't you?
Every culture in the world has its myths, including the one where you come from.
Have you heard about the one where the world was created in a couple of days, woman came from a mans rib, there was a talking snakes, and a magic apple people were not allowed to eat. And that was just chapter one !!!
It does not matter which country you go to Jesus still does not exist
But I can see how you would relate unicorns to Jesus. They do fall under the same fictional umbrella.
Christina,
You're an idiot.
LOL!... You believe in Satan, Jesus, God and all the other christian nonsense, and you're accusing others of having mythical animals ? Wow, unbelievable arrogance.
Funny Christina...way to follow the example of love that Christ set for us. Ironically, Jesus showed only love and compassion to bring people to him who didn't really believe in God or who led obviously sinful lives. The only people who's egos he beat down were those who thought they were religiously elite. (typically Pharisees). Those who were arrogant in God's name. So, taking into account that Jesus exercised the most compassion towards those who were humble and meek, and was the most hard on those who were arrogant, what do you think he'd say to you?
news flash honey, jesus never existed so the unicorns and him have something in common
LMAO @ u you iTard, cultist lemming.....
do you really think your man-made cultist god is any more real than a man-made mythical creature such as a unicorn?
oh...you do? then you are truely pathetic! oh and by the way....how do you know YOUR god is the right god then out of the many, many, many gods the lemmings cultists across the world worship?
oh....that's right....you don't. lemmings never know the truth of what or why they follow......they just keep following like...well....lemmings.
i have a notion.....give up your cultist gods for a day and rely only on yourself for everything.......
you'll find...you got through the day just the same as you did the previous day. no cultist gods required.....but certainly you'll need a mind of your own and a thought and decision process that is above a lemmings comprehension.
Christina; I have one question. Was there dinasours on Noah's Ark ? Think about it. If there was none, then if Noah took two of every animal, did he leave them behind ? What is more mythical ? If the 7 days of creation in Genesis were equal to 20000 years per day as many christians believe, the six days it took to create the earth (7th day was rest) makes the earth around 125000 to 130000 years old. The youngest dinasour fossil is 65 million years old !! Wake up girl.
Christina, have you accepted Mickey Mouse as your personal savior? I'll consider your religion if you'll convert to mine.
murmech
that whole dinasour arguement is based on your belief that current carbon dating tech. are accurate. No one will ever be able to PROVE that a dinasour bone in the museum i s 10000 years old, or 10 million years old unless a time machine is invented. So my faith in God is no more ridiculous than your faith in human carbon dating.
Jesus is a mythical person. What's the difference?
"The saola, although it has two horns, may be the basis of the mythical Chinese unicorn, the qilin, although it is unknown if saolas ever existed in China."
lol CNN