Saolas—Finding Mates/Avoiding Snares

The distinctly marked saola lives in the Ammonite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam. It’s related to cattle and its name refers to its spindle-shaped horns.  Notice the dark line that extends from each eye toward the mouth.  These lines mark the edges of two flaps. When a saola is scent-marking, it flares these flaps, exposing pores that lead to a gland that emits a strong musk-like smell. Notice also the white facial bands and patches. They, too, contain scent-emitting pores.

The very rare saola was not discovered by science until 1992, and may already be extinct, but if there are surviving individuals, a captive breeding program and anti-poaching patrols will be critical to their future. Both efforts will face significant challenges because saolas have yet to last more than a few months in captivity and snares like the one shown here, which are typically intended for other animals, are very common in their mountain habitat. According to the Saola Working Group, which formed in 2006 to save the saola from extinction, forest rangers over the past few years have removed more than 130,000 snares in a single protected area in central Vietnam. As a result of rampant snaring, any remaining saola are now distributed among a handful of small, isolated populations. This means scent-marking is critical as saola are now so rare that isolated individuals seeking mates may otherwise fail to find them.