MYANMAR | 60,046 ACRES PROTECTED
Protecting Pangolins in Myanmar
Prized for their scales and their meat, pangolins are the world’ s most heavily trafficked animal. In addition to heavy pressure from illegal hunting, Myanmar’ s Critically Endangered Sunda Pangolin and Chinese Pangolin are also threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to illegal logging, encroaching development, and gold mining.
To better protect these and other species, Rainforest Trust and local partner Friends of Wildlife began work in 2018 to create a new national park within one of Myanmar’ s most biodiverse forests. Despite an ongoing civil war, our project successfully established the 60,046-acre Zalon-Taung National Park. This park safeguards essential habitat for Sunda and Chinese Pangolins as well as Clouded Leopards, Sun Bears, the Endangered Dhole, and many others.
Juvenile Sunda Pangolin | ADAMARDN
LAOS | 120,632 ACRES PROTECTED
Expand Protection for the“ Asian Unicorn”
With population estimates ranging from just a few dozen individuals to a few hundred, the Critically Endangered Saola is among the most endangered of the world’ s large mammals. Often called the“ Asian Unicorn,” the Saola is so elusive it was just described by science in 1992. Since then, the species has only been photographed a handful of times.
Despite a decade without confirmed sightings, scientists believe some individuals and small groups remain hidden in the lush Annamite Mountains that span the Laos-Vietnam border in Southeast Asia. In addition to the Critically Endangered Saola, this moist forest ecoregion shelters a long list of threatened species— many of which are found nowhere else in the world— including the Critically Endangered Large-antlered Muntjac and Red-shanked Douc Langur, as well as the Dhole, Owston’ s Civet, Northern Yellowcheeked Crested Gibbon, and the Greater Slow Loris, all of which are endangered.
Saola or“ Asian Unicorn” | HARSHA MADUSANKA
Rainforest Trust and our partner, WWF-Laos, saw an opportunity to enhance protections for these species by expanding and strengthening Laos’ Xe Sap National Protected Area while simultaneously working with local communities to reduce the threat of illegal snaring. Together, we added 120,632 acres to expand the protected area’ s boundary and upgraded its status, resulting in the 499,894-acre Xesap National Park.
• Saola,“ Asian Unicorn” | NIMSARA11