Environment

Endangered large-antlered muntjac found in Quang Nam

A camera trap has caught the large-antlered muntjac, one of the rarest and most threatened mammal species of Southeast Asia, for the first time in the central province of Quang Nam.
Endangered large-antlered muntjac found in Quang Nam ảnh 1A camera trap has caught the large-antlered muntjac, one of the rarest and most threatened mammal species of Southeast Asia, in the central province of Quang Nam. (Photo: WWF–Vietnam, USAID, Leibniz-IZW)

Hanoi (VNA) – A camera trap has caught thelarge-antlered muntjac, one of the rarest and most threatened mammal species of Southeast Asia,for the first time in the central province of Quang Nam.

The mammal is classified as arare and endangered animal in the red book.

The provincial Forest Protection Department said on May 23 that thephotographs captured two individuals, a male and a female, which are both matureand of reproductive age.

They were taken in November last year as part of a biodiversitymonitoring and assessment supported by the World Wild Fund Vietnam (WWF–Vietnam), US Agency forInternational Development (USAID), the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and WildlifeResearch (Leibniz-IZW) and local authorities.

“Large-antlered muntjacs do not currently exist incaptivity, so if we lose them in the wild, we lose them forever. Scientists areracing against time to save the species. Addressing the snaring crisis toprotect wildlife in the forests of central Vietnam and setting up captiveassurance populations are vital if we are to succeed,” said Benjamin Rawson,Conservation Director of the WWF–Vietnam.

The muntjac, which was first discovered incentral Ha Tinh Province in 1994, is endemic to evergreen forests in the TruongSon (Annamite) Mountains bordering Vietnam and Laos. The rare animal hasbeen found in protected areas in the central province of ThuaThien–Hue in 2013 and in the central province of Thanh Hoa in 2016.

The deer has been absentfor years due to illegal snare hunting. In 2016, in response to thesnare-driven decline of the species, the status on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species of the large-antlered muntjac was changed from Endangered toCritically Endangered.

This discovery marks a milestone for the biodiversityconservation as it provides new hope for the continued survival of anendangered species in Vietnam.

The survey team is now expanding camera trappingefforts to other areas in the region, including places with high biodiversitypotential in Thua Thien–Hue and the north of Quang Nam.-VNA
VNA
#camera trap#large-antlered muntjac#deer#muntjac#mammal#Quang Nam#WWF–Vietnam#USAID#Leibniz-IZW#biodiversity#Annamite Mountains#Truong Son#Vietnam news#Vietnam#Vietnam news agency#Vietnamplus
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