The Saola (Pseudoryx nghetin) can be considered as an alternative to the fictional unicorn. Also known as the Asian Unicorn, the Saola is a rare large mammal found only in the Vietnamese territory up to date.
The Saola is gifted with two unusually long horns which may extend up to around 50 cm probably for its defense and also some characteristic white colouring above its eyes like an eyebrow, beside the nose and along the jawline. The appearance, in general, is akin to an antelope though cattle are the closest genetic cousins to the Saola. This unusual combination made the scientific classification so difficult that a new biological tribe was created.
Their silky short fur takes a dark chestnut brown colour and a lighter cream colouring can be seen just above the hooves and on the chest. The tail is short, coloured by three stripes which give the appearance of a Zebra crossing.
These rare beauties are considered as Critically Endangered Species and the global population of the Saola is estimated as around 20. The main threat to their survival is the loss of habitat and poaching. Saolas are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants.
There have been a few Saolas in captivity. Most information comes from a Saola named “Robichard” who was observed in captivity in 1996 for 18 days until she died of unknown sources. Saolas are thought to be tame among humans but very distressed around dogs.
The Saola is important because they are one of the very few large animals out there in the region and we cannot save this animal, then we might not be able to save other minor species in the Vietnam region.
Interestingly, the Scientific community heard about Saola for the first time in 1992 and very limited information is gathered in this short period of nearly three decades. But Horns of Saola are collected as a trophy and other parts of its body serve as ingredients in folk medicine.
By Rtr. Shaini Wimalakeerthi
References:
- https://www.savethesaola.org/the-saola/what-is-a-saola/
- https://www.globalwildlife.org/project/saola/
- https://a-z-animals.com/animals/saola/
- https://onekindplanet.org/animal/saola/
Image Credits:
Very useful, got to know a lot about unicorns that I didn’t know..!! Thanks for the great attempt. All the very best.