Rainforest Trust is Saving Habitat in Laos for the Rare Asian Unicorn
Rainforest Trust is working with Asian Arks to conserve the Khoun Xe Nong Ma National Protected Area that was recently declared by the Government of Lao PDR. The KXNM area covers approximately 133,000 acres of the Upper Xe Bang Fai-Laos Key Biodiversity Area in the Annamite mountain range. This mountain range in Laos and Vietnam has one of the highest species endemism concentrations of any continental ecoregion on the planet and KXNM is one of the last undisturbed forest stretches in the region.
This forest is home to many endangered species. The critically endangered Saola, also called the Asian Unicorn due to its mysterious and elusiveness nature, was first discovered in the region in 1992. The antelope-like species seen in the header image is one of the least-studied large mammals in the world due to its very rare sightings and its remote and inaccessible forest habitat. Due to the scarcity of the species, it is difficult for scientists to estimate population numbers, but based on reported sightings it is likely that no more than a few hundred still survive at best.
Rainforest Trust
