Found only in the forests of Vietnam and Laos, the saola (often referred to as the Asian unicorn) is a critically endangered species of mammal, with at most a few hundred individuals left in the wild. Little is known about the species, which was only recently discovered in May 1992, but researchers have been able to glean information from observations of dead and captive saola along with reports from locals. Saola are overall gentle creatures: according to researchers, they tend to avoid humans, but when forced into contact, saola are unusually tame. It’s unclear what organisms prey on these bovines, although researchers think that some of their predators include leopards, tigers, and dholes (a type of wild dog). This belief is based largely on their defensive behavior in the presence of a threat, which is remarkably similar to that of dholes’ prey in particular. When threatened, saola will run until they reach a stream, turn towards the threat, bow their head, arch their back, and flare their maxillary glands.
Saola have distinctly large maxillary glands, especially for a mammal. Located in front of their eyes, these glands can be covered and revealed by muscular flaps, which have the appearance of gills. In reality, they open and close to allow the glands to secrete a pungent musky odor, likely used to deter predators.
The saola’s maxillary-preorbital gland may be the largest of any extant mammal, seen here between the nose and eye. Source: worldwildlife.org.
Saola live at different altitudes depending on the season. While most saola are found in broadleaf evergreen forests on the sloped hills of the Annamite mountains, they are occasionally found in lowland forests alongside rivers. Researchers predict that the steeper hills at higher altitudes provide saola with safety from predators, but as streams at higher elevations dry out in the winter, saola travel to lower altitudes in search of water. When saola are at these lower altitudes, they are at the highest risk, not only from predators but also from humans.
Hunting is the greatest cause of death for saola and may soon cause their extinction, with many traps meant for wild boar or deer unintentionally killing saola. Some villagers go out of their way to hunt these bovines, hoping to sell them in the growing illegal market for their facial glands—used for medicinal purposes—and their meat, which is used by restaurants and food markets. Logging-driven habitat destruction has also forced saola into ever-smaller plots of land, and the paving of new roads has not only caused habitat fragmentation but also enabled hunters to gain better access to saola. Additionally, conservation efforts have largely failed; the species has little hope of being saved via captive propagation, as all thirteen saola ever kept in captivity died within five months. It is estimated that the saola population has declined by 80 percent over the last three generations, indicating that extinction may soon be on the horizon.
Yet there is still a chance that this unique species can be saved. The Ministry of Forestry in Vietnam has banned the capture, possession, and trade of saola, and at least a few are still left in the wild. If their extinction is brought into the public eye, there is hope for the future of saola.
Saola side profile. Source: worldwildlife.org.
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