The ghost of the mountains
In the dense, wet forests of the Annamite Mountains, a creature exists that is extremely rare to most of the world. The saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), often called the Asian Unicorn, was completely unknown to science until 1992. Its discovery, from a skull with long, straight horns found in a hunter's home, was one of the most spectacular zoological finds of the 20th century. This animal is so distinct it belongs to its own genus, Pseudoryx, and its closest relatives are cattle and buffalo. It stands about 85 centimeters at the shoulder, with a dark brown coat and striking white markings on its face. Both males and females possess two sharp, parallel horns that can grow up to 50 centimeters long.
The Nakai-Nam Theun National Park in Laos is in the saola's tiny, historical range. This protected area is one of the last, best hopes for its survival. Yet, the animal is fantastically elusive. No biologist has ever reported seeing one in the wild. Our entire knowledge comes from a few animals briefly held in captivity—all of which quickly died—and a handful of automated camera trap photos. The last confirmed image of a saola was taken on September 7, 2013, in Vietnam. Despite years of intensive camera trapping across its habitat, covering thousands of "trap-nights," no conclusive evidence has emerged since.
An industrial-scale threat
The primary danger to the saola is illegal snaring, not habitat loss. An enormous tide of illegal snaring. The forests of the Annamites are saturated with wire snares set by commercial poachers. These snares are indiscriminate, intended for animals like wild boar and deer to supply the illegal wildlife trade, but they trap anything that walks into them. The saola is not specifically targeted but becomes accidental bycatch in this industrial-scale slaughter.
Conservation groups and local rangers are in a constant battle against this threat. In the main saola habitat areas along the Laos-Vietnam border, patrol teams have removed tens of thousands of snares. For example, between 2011 and 2018, rangers removed over 110,000 traps. Another initiative removed over 28,000 snares in just over two years. Despite these efforts, poachers continually reset the cheap and effective traps. The current population is estimated to be fewer than 100 individuals, and possibly far less, scattered across a rugged, remote area. Many conservationists believe the only remaining path to save the saola is through a captive breeding program—a "One Plan" approach combining protection in the wild with capturing a few individuals to breed in safety. The first step, however, is to find one, a task that grows more difficult with each passing year.