Investigo la tigre indocinese evasiva, Sao La
In the heart of central Vietnam, a unique story of conservation unfolds in the Saola Reserve. The reserve, covering over 8,500 hectares, is a sanctuary for some of the world's most endangered species, notably the elusive saola.
A former hunter, A Lang Dang, now plays a crucial role in the reserve's ranger force, protecting wildlife and forests. His transformation mirrors the spirit of conservation that permeates the region.
Local villagers have reported signs of the saola, such as the grazing of forest taro plants, which could potentially be evidence of the species. This has sparked renewed interest in the search for the saola, a creature that has eluded conservationists since the last photo of it was captured in Quang Nam Province in 2013.
Key leaders of the Co Tu community are invited to join monthly forest patrols, a move aimed at fostering community involvement in conservation efforts. Nguyen Dai Anh Tuat, currently vice director of Hue municipal department of Agriculture and Environment, rescued a pregnant saola in 1997, further underscoring the community's role in the saola's survival.
The Saola Reserve has allocated a significant portion of its area for community-based protection. The local community receives an annual fund of VND11 billion from forest environment services payment as extra income. This initiative not only encourages sustainable forest protection but also improves the livelihoods of the Co Tu community.
However, illegal activities such as hunting, logging, seeking medicinal herbs, and other forestry products account for about 80% of human activities in the Saola Reserve area. To combat these illegal activities, 17 community-based forest protection teams have been established.
The management of the Saola Reserve is collaborating with local authorities to create stable income for the community from eco-farming and community-based tourism services. Joint-patrol trips are designed among the saola management boards of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces in searching for the saola in the Truong Son mountain range.
A network of camera traps has been set up in the Saola Reserve to capture images of the critically endangered saola. However, despite these efforts, the species remains missing. Wildlife awareness programs and forest patrol trips have been regularly implemented by the ranger force and the community living near the reserve to combat these illegal activities.
Nguyen Van Linh, a post-graduate conservationist, began research on the Annamite striped rabbit in 2023 in the jungles of Nghe An and Quang Nam. While he did not find direct evidence of the saola during his research, grazing patterns on forest taro in the former Quang Nam Province suggested possible saola presence. Linh found a rabbit born in a cave one month after setting up cameras, but the camera trap had yet to capture the saola, with the last confirmed photo dating back to 2013 in the region.
Le Hoang Son, director of Saola Reserve's management board, stated that the species is known to nibble taro from stem to root. Son continues to boost the protection and conservation of biodiversity and landscape in the saola habitat in the reserve, with the hope of capturing its appearance.
The Co Tu ethnic group living near the Saola Reserve acknowledges the law on forest protection and wildlife trafficking. Protection of forests over the past decades has not only conserved the habitat for the saola but also for other endangered species such as chamois, Annamite striped rabbits, and Sunda pangolins.
The quest for the saola continues, a testament to the resilience of conservation efforts in central Vietnam. The community's involvement, coupled with modern technology and traditional knowledge, offers a promising future for the protection of this enigmatic species and its habitat.
