The lush Annamite Mountains spanning the Laos-Vietnam border in Southeast Asia are rich in beauty and diversity. But this habitat, and the rare wildlife found here, are imperiled by slash-and-burn agriculture, gold mining and illegal logging.

Among the many mammals living here are the rare and elusive Critically Endangered Saola, also known as the “Asian Unicorn.” Discovered in 1992, it is the first large mammal new to science in over 50 years. In September 2013, an adult Saola was photographed by a camera trap in the Hue-Quang Nam landscape of Vietnam, directly across the border from Xe Sap National Protected Area.

Xe Sap National Protected Area extending across the Central Annamite Mountains is a biodiverse treasure in the heart of the Indo-Burma hotspot. This moist forest ecoregion shelters some of the world’s highest concentrations of endemic species. In addition to the Saola (CR), other threatened species here include the Large-antlered Muntjac (CR), Red-shanked Douc Langur (CR), Vietnamese Crested Argus (CR), Owston’s Civet (EN), Dhole (EN), Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon (EN) and the Greater Slow Loris (EN).

_{(Header photo:  Waterfall in Xe Sap, Laos, by Thomas Calame)}

Save Habitat for the Elusive Saola and Large-Antlered Muntjac

Probably no more than a few hundred Saola—the “Asian Unicorn”—still survive, but this proposed expansion will give this near-mythic animal every chance to roam between Xe Sap and protected areas in Vietnam, including the Sao La Nature Reserve, the site of the most recent camera-trap image of the Saola. Surveys conducted by WWF-Laos indicate that the Critically Endangered Large-antlered Muntjac may still be present in the Xe Sap area.

Rainforest Trust and our partner, WWF-Laos plan to safeguard 118,221 acres to expand the 377,000-acre Xe Sap National Protected Area. Once protected, these acres will increase this contiguous, high-integrity forest habitat for species and safely store 15,662,722 mT of CO₂ equivalents.

In 2021, Rainforest Trust protected another 133,098 acres of vital habitat in the Annamites for the Saola, in the Upper Xe Bang Fai-Laos Key Biodiversity Area, not far from Xe Sap National Protected Area.

Protect Vulnerable Species From the Ravages of Snaring

Deadly snaring practices, combined with habitat loss, are putting many large mammals, including elephants, tigers and rhinos, at the brink of extinction. Made of wire or rope, snares capture the animal as it steps through the loop and traps it, tied to a tree, waiting for the hunter to return.

Large, charismatic species—trapped for both local consumption and the illegal wildlife trade—are at great risk of local, and global, extinction from snaring. Those at the highest risk include Saola (CR), Large-antlered Muntjac (CR), Sun Bear (VU) and the Vietnamese Crested Argus (CR), a large, heavily bodied, ground-feeding bird species particularly vulnerable to snaring.

Our partner has developed a program focusing on income-generating ideas and start-up support for residents who live in communities surrounding the protected area. The program provides training and small financial loans to start new businesses or improve agricultural practices so they are more sustainable. Sustainable natural resources commonly harvested and sold include wild honey, mushrooms, broom grass, bamboo, rattan and ginger. Our partner will also engage with the community to participate in robust monitoring and patrolling activities in this area, once protected.