Rare creature not seen in 100 years rediscovered deep in forest: 'This is a testament to the diversity resources and wildlife'
An animal assumed to have been extinct for nearly a century has made a startling appearance inside one of the most biodiverse nature reserves in all of Vietnam.
The Pu Hoat muntjac is a species of muntjac from the Pu Hoat region in Vietnam. Once thought to have been extinct for close to 100 years, the animal was previously believed to have been discovered in Laos in 1999. However, officials were unable to confirm the authenticity of the discovery.
Two decades later, the confirmed sighting of the Pu Hoat muntjac has given officials at Xuan Lien Nature Reserve a bit of well-deserved reassurance of their objective.
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Established in 1999, Xuan Lien Nature Reserve was created in order to protect threatened species and vulnerable habitats only found in the northern part of Vietnam. The nature reserve spans a total area of 24,000 hectares, with a majority of that area designated as special-use forests.
Altogether, the Xuan Lien Nature Reserve is home to over 1,800 species of wildlife, including 35 species listed of fauna and flora listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book.
But perhaps the nature reserve's greatest accomplishment to date is the recent discovery of the Pu Hoat muntjac. Evidence of the animal's presence was confirmed by photographs thanks to several of the nature reserve's camera traps. The photographs are the first confirmed sighting of the Pu Hoat muntjac since 1929.
Pham Anh Tam, Director of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve, highlighted the extremely rare sighting as proof of the importance of conservation and protecting biodiversity. "This is a testament to the diversity of resources and wildlife that are still being preserved, so it is necessary to have the joint protection of local authorities, agencies, departments as well as local people," Tam said.
By developing nature reserves and practicing conservation, we can help protect endangered species by allowing them to settle back into their region-specific habitats. Similar to the Pu Hoat muntjac, the forest owlet was also thought to have been extinct until it was recently spotted during a safari in a Central India tiger reserve.
Encouraging biodiversity is a big step in maintaining a healthy ecosystem that affects animals, plant life, and humans.
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