They are known as the ‘Asian Unicorns’. The Saola, pronounced sow-la, meaning ‘spindle horns’ in Vietnamese, is found in only one place in the world: the Annamite Mountains forests on the border between Vietnam and Laos.
This of course begs the query “Where do saolas live?”
The Saola is found in Laos and Vietnam. More specifically in dense forests of the Annamite Mountains. They tend to stick where they can find lots of water. One researcher found a Saola drinking water for 4 minutes! Can you imagine drinking water for that long?
They are thought to live for between 8 and 11 years in the wild. Like all other Antelope species and indeed Cattle, the Saola is a herbivorous animal that survives on a diet that is solely comprised of plants and plant matter.
How was the saola discovered?
Map data provided by IUCN. The saola was discovered in May 1992 during a joint survey carried out by the Ministry of Forestry of Vietnam and WWF in north-central Vietnam. The team found a skull with unusual long, straight horns in a hunter’s home and knew it was something extraordinary.
For typhoons named Saola, see Typhoon Saola. The saola ( Pseudoryx nghetinhensis ), also called spindlehorn, Asian unicorn, or infrequently, Vu Quang bovid, is one of the world’s rarest large mammals, a forest-dwelling bovine native to the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos.
How many times have scientists documented saola in the wild?
Scientists have categorically documented saola in the wild on only four occasions to date. Map data provided by IUCN. The saola was discovered in May 1992 during a joint survey carried out by the Ministry of Forestry of Vietnam and WWF in north-central Vietnam.
How many saolas left?
The Saola is also called the Asian unicorn. How many Saolas are left in the world? There are less than 250 Saolas left in the world. How fast is a Saola? A Saola can travel at speeds of up to 23 miles per hour.
Another frequent query is “How many Saola are left in the world?”.
36) The difficult terrain of their remote location makes scientific study difficult, but the best guess is that there are anywhere from 100 to 700 Saolo left in the wild. The population in Laos is believed to be larger than that in Vietnam, but both Saola populations may be below 100 at this point.
How many Saola are there in captivity?
None exist in captivity and this rarely-seen mammal is already critically endangered. Scientists have categorically documented saola in the wild on only four occasions to date. Map data provided by IUCN.
Another common query is “What is the distribution of the saola?”.
The Saola is one of the rarest animals on the planet. It is rarely seen and estimated to be under 250 individuals remaining. The last known population estimate was performed way back in 2005. The animal is rarely studied making population surveys non-existent. The Saola is distributed through eastern Indochina, .