Help Save Vietnam's Rarest Mammals

Help safeguard some of the world's rarest and least studied mammal species in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam!

High in the remote, rugged terrain of Vietnam's Annamite mountain range is the beautiful Pu Mat National Park. The park is host to a wealth of bird, amphibian, and reptile species and is considered one of the most important sites for mammal conservation in Vietnam. In the 1990s, several mammals previously unknown to science were discovered there including the Saola, the Annamite Striped Rabbit, and the Large-antlered Muntjac. The Saola's discovery in 1992 revealed not only a new species to science but also a new genus. Nicknamed the Asian Unicorn, the critically endangered Saola remains one of the least known, and most threatened, large mammals on the planet.

Sadly, large mammal populations have plummeted across the region as a result of extensive poaching. Wire foothold snares are illegally set to catch animals and even in protected areas thousands of snares can be collected in one day. Many Vietnamese forests have been emptied of wildlife, and if poaching continues at the current intensity, areas such as Pu Mat may also lose many of its rare species. It is urgent to enact effective anti-poaching measures in areas where these unique animals survive. In order to successfully do this, it must first be understood where these animals are distributed in Pu Mat National Park.

For the first time in Vietnam, Global Wildlife Conservation together with partners will embark upon a comprehensive study to learn where threatened species that occur nowhere else live within the Pu Mat National Park. These data will be collected with wildlife cameras which use motion detection to capture wildlife when they pass by. Information from these cameras will enable researchers to monitor the impacts of enforcement and anti-poaching efforts, making sure Pu Mat’s wild species are protected and their populations recover.

You can help. Just $15 provides one day of work for a ranger.

The mission of Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) is to protect endangered species and habitats through science-based field action. Their global efforts, in collaboration with many committed individuals and organizations, target species and ecosystems at imminent risk of disappearing forever to ensure that they not only survive but thrive, for the benefit of nature and society. Since their founding, GWC'€™s leading scientists, with field experience in over 50 countries, have built an extensive network of allied researchers and conservationists that has enabled them to conserve wildlife and habitats in more than 40 countries, helped establish more than 20 new nature reserves, protected more than 100 endangered species and 20,000 species overall, and helped educate over 50 undergraduate and graduate students. Their strengths lie in providing conservation leadership, implementing researched solutions, and monitoring the impact of global conservation activities.