Discovery of a species of chevrotain thought to be extinct 30 years ago in Vietnam
For the first time in three decades, scientists have photographed a small, rabbit-like creature that looks like a deer and was thought to be extinct. It is the silver-backed chevrotain and it has appeared in the Nha Trang forest.
Scientists first recorded information about the silver-backed chevrotain in 1910. In 1990, a hunter turned over a silver-backed chevrotain (Tragulus versicolor) to researchers, and that was the last time scientific data were available about this rare animal.
“For a long time, the silver-backed chevrotain has existed only in our imagination,” said biologist An Nguyen of the NGO Global Wildlife Conservation. “Finding them alive in the wild is the first step in ensuring we don’t lose them again and act quickly to find the best way to protect them.”
The silver-backed chevrotain is on Global Wildlife Conservation's list of 25 endangered species. Scientists believe the silver-backed chevrotain is at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and hunting.
Details of the discovery of the silver-backed chevrotain in Nha Trang were published on November 11 in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
CNN reported that a team of scientists interviewed local residents and rangers near the coastal city of Nha Trang, then set up cameras for five months around areas where the silver-backed chevrotain was suspected to be. Through this effort, the scientists took 1,881 photos of the silver-backed chevrotain in five months.
According to GWC, the silver-backed chevrotain is not a mouse or a deer, but the world's smallest ungulate. They are quite shy, live in herds, have two cross-shaped fangs, and weigh less than 4.5 kg.
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