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Long-tailed forest shrew makes appearance for first time in 46-years

The Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew. Image Credit: Cliff Dorse Image: Cliff Dorse One of the Western Cape's most mysterious mammals, the Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew (Myosorex longicaudatus boosmani), has made a reappearance, 46 years after it was last recorded. Conservationists from CapeNature, Grootvadersbosch Conservancy and Helihack, together with volunteer biologists, were ecstatic at finding one of these tiny mammals on the edge of a pristine forest patch on CapeNature's Boosmansbos Wilderness Area. First described in 1979 by scientist Nico Dippenaar, the shrew was recognised as a unique subspecies, geographically isolated from its relatives by the Gouritz Valley. Its limited known range, combined with forest habitat loss and climate change, led to it being listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2016. Armed with little more than Dippenaar's original field notes and habitat descriptions, the team embarked on their fourth attempt in four years to find the shrew. Dippenaar, now retired, wished the group luck and fondly referred to the species as 'a bit of a darling'. The survey took place from May 3-6, with the shrew found on May 4. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Dominique Coetzee and Makoma Mpekwane (CapeNature Conservation Officers, GVB), Dr Andrew Turner (CapeNature Restoration Ecologist), Dr Marienne de Villiers (CapeNature Faunal Ecologist), Cliff Dorse (biologist). Image: Supplied 'At last, I can take this little shrew off my biological bucket list. It's been a bit like a unicorn for me - a mythical creature that I thought I would never get a chance to see in real life,' said Dr Marienne de Villiers, CapeNature ecologist. 'And it's really comforting to know that at least part of its population, in at least some of its forest habitat, is well-protected.' Previous attempts to catch the elusive shrew using standard rodent live traps had been unsuccessful, and it was hoped that the new method would be more rewarding. But getting all the necessary gear up to the remote wilderness area, with no vehicle access, was a challenge. Fortunately for the team, Helihack came to the rescue. This initiative is focused on safeguarding the protected area from invasive alien pines, using helicopters to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. The team was airlifted to a wilderness campsite and then hiked down to set 76 pitfall traps across various habitats. Each trap was prepared with bedding, shelter, and the occasional earthworm to ensure humane treatment. At first, the traps yielded nothing, but one of the final traps revealed a small mammal with a 6 cm tail, unmistakably the long-lost Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew. Weighing just 13.7 grams, it was measured, photographed, and released unharmed into its forest habitat. 'This remarkable discovery was made possible by a group of enthusiastic, motivated, and skilled partners working together to achieve a range of biodiversity goals - from conducting surveys to managing invasive alien plants - all in an effort to keep the superb Boosmansbos in a healthy state for all to enjoy. 'A genetic sample of the shrew will now be analysed to clarify its relationship to lower-altitude relatives, while further research is needed to better understand its life history, behavioural ecology, and the status of its only known population,' Cape Nature said. Intensive surveys of other forest patches may yet reveal more about its distribution. Cape Times