Animal Fun Facts: Meet the Saola

By Gianna Ursone, Chief Copy Editor

Welcome back to your weekly Animal Fun Facts! Today’s animal is quite the mystery as it is very elusive. Meet the Saola or scientifically known as the Pseudoryx nghetinhensis! These creatures are native to dense, wet evergreen forests in the Annamite Range that borders Vietnam and Laos. Now, let’s figure out why this animal is such a mythical mystery!  

• Saolas are nicknamed the “Asian Unicorn” because of its rarity and pointed horns that resemble a unicorn. They are also often called “spindlehorns.”  
• Saolas are one of the world’s rarest large mammals. It has never been seen before in the wild by biologists.  
• They sadly are endangered and face poaching and getting caught in snares that were set up for other animals.  
• In Laos, the Hmong people often call these creatures saht-supahp, when translated means, “the polite animal.” This nickname came because of how quietly they move through the forest.  
• These animals have large scent glands on their muzzles that likely help them to mark their territory.  

That’s all the fun facts left for these mysterious animals! Hope that you’ve learned something brand new about these wonderful creatures. 

Illustration by Gianna Ursone