Protected Sites
Protection in Progress
Asia-Pacific
Safeguarding the Elusive " Asian Unicorn "
The lush Annamite Mountain range extends through parts of Laos , Vietnam and Cambodia in a gentle curve parallel to Vietnam ’ s coast . This rich habitat supports the highest concentration of endemic species in mainland Southeast Asia . The rare and elusive Critically Endangered Saola , an antelope known as the “ Asian Unicorn ,” was first documented by scientists in this region in 1992 . It is the first large mammal new to science in over 50 years .
Rainforest Trust , with local partner Asian Arks , worked successfully with the government of Lao People ’ s Democratic Republic to declare the 133,098-acre Khoun Xe Nong Ma National Protected Area in 2021 , safeguarding habitat for the rare Saola and other threatened species . Now under management of Rainforest Trust partner Wildlife Conservation Society ( WCS ), the newly declared area benefits from protection against the industrial-level hunting and snaring that threatened this last remaining and relatively undisturbed wet evergreen forest .
A biodiverse treasure , this moist forest ecoregion shelters many endemic species in addition to the Saola ( CR ). These include the Large-antlered Muntjac ( CR ), Red-shanked Douc Langur ( CR ), Vietnamese Crested Argus ( CR ), Edward ’ s Pheasant ( CR ), Southern White-cheeked Gibbon ( EN ), and the Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle ( CR ). In addition , recent work here revealed that it
12 Rainforest Trust 2021 Annual Report