Course:CONS200/2023/Strategies for the conservation of the endangered Saola in Vietnam and their impact

Introduction

The saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) belongs to the subfamily Bovidae and is characterized by two pointed horns and a distinctive white stripe on its face. This species is currently confined to the geographic range spanning Vietnam and Laos. It is critically endangered due to local commercial hunting and the wildlife trade in India. The Saola Working Group and governmental agencies have implemented various conservation strategies aimed at recovering the population and mitigating further endangerment.

A 4-5 month old female Saola captured at the former Ministry of Forestry, Ha Noi

Current Habitat Information of Vietnam Saola

Distribution of Saola in Vietnam

The Saola has a restricted distribution, occupying a range from the north-west to the south-east border of Vietnam, spanning from the Ca River to the north of Quang Nam province. Its distribution covers a geographical area of approximately 4,000 square kilometres, ranging from 104°05' E, 19°25' N to 105°50' E, 18°05' N in Vietnam. This species primarily inhabits mountainous and lowland evergreen rainforest habitats situated at elevations ranging from 200-2000m. Notably, the distribution of saola encompasses two of Vietnam's primary nature reserves, the Vu Quang Nature Reserve and the Pu Mat Nature Reserve. Since 1995, the Saola's range in Vietnam has experienced a gradual reduction, leading to its classification as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2006.

Habitat Preference of Saola

The Saola demonstrates a preference for the Buhuong region in Vietnam, which is characterized by mountainous terrain composed of ridges, streams, and steep valleys. Its primary habitats primarily comprise lowland evergreen rainforest and lower montane rainforest, which harbor over 2,000 species and maintain a humid climate. Research has demonstrated that Saola populations tend to be absent in urban areas, where human activity is prevalent. Conversely, they tend to inhabit areas free from human interference. However, low valley regions covered in degraded, secondary agricultural vegetation are not preferred by Saola populations.

Threat to Endangered Saola

As a result of agricultural expansion, urbanization, and deforestation in Vietnam, the Saola's habitat range has progressively diminished, resulting in its classification as a critically endangered species on the Red List. The primary drivers of endangerment for the Saola include habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as local hunting and the wildlife trade. In particular, local hunters often set traps in the forest to capture animals such as wild boar, inadvertently capturing Saola. Furthermore, Saola meat is illegally traded and distributed in Vietnamese restaurants and food markets, fueling the wildlife trade and placing additional pressure on the endangered species.

Key Contributions of Putting Saola to be Endangered

The only place where Saola was found -- Annamites Mountain Ranges

Habitat Loss

According to the study conducted by a group of researchers, who meant to figure out the characteristics of the habitat of Saola, their result demonstrates that the Saola would more likely to be captured and found in higher-density primary forest. Despite this general fact, only a few of them could be detected in secondary forest, which includes their preferred food source -- Schismatoglottis cochinchinensis. This plant species mainly grow along the stream and more importantly, its coverage in the local sighting area compare to other plants like Coral ferns was really scarce. Also, the local people in the Bu huong area of Vietnam had largely convert the forest land into agricultural land which lead to the diminishing of the Saola's primarily forest habitat. Therefore, they provide the evidence of threats towards the Saola's habitat loss.

Fragmentation

Fragmentation of Saola habitation (figure 5 from the study mentioned in the section of "Fragmentation")

Again, using the Saola observation results concluded by the researchers (figure 5), it could be found that the distribution of Saola was scattered. They were detected in the spots of wild banana, bamboo, rattan, palm, coral ferns, gingers, grasses and Schismatoglottis sp based on their local observation.

Local Hunting

Other than the loss of forest habitat, local hunting was indicated as the equally severe problems that are threatening the population of Saola. The researchers illustrated that the local hunters in Bu Huong area own stubborn attitudes towards hunting, which is really bad for the survival of Saola. That is, the successful hunting of Saola not only serve them meat but also high self-esteem due to the scarcity of Saola.

Wildlife Trade

Because of its scarcity, the traditional hunters always grant the Saola with intense value. The action of assigning value to Saola is encouraging more hunting and wildlife trade on them, this phenomenon combining with the forest habitat loss persist as vicious cycle. As a result, establishing the protection of Saola is crucial.

Strategies for the Protection of Saola

Strategy 1: Camera Trap

The Saola Working Group (SWG), formed in 2016, was established to undertake necessary conservation measures for the Saola. The SWG, in collaboration with its partners, has achieved notable accomplishments with the implementation of camera traps to monitor Saola populations, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach. Since January 2018, over 63,000 camera traps have been effectively deployed in the Pu Mat National Park in Vietnam. Researchers have utilized camera traps in the Hue Nature Reserve. The reserve has established 46 camera trap sites based on expert opinion assessments of habitat characteristics. The cameras operate 24 hours a day and capture a photograph each time the animal's movement triggers an infrared flash, recording the date and time of the image.

Strategy 2: Breeding Center

Breeding centers are a conservation approach that is currently employed, with the first Saola breeding center established in collaboration between Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Saola Working Group in Bach Ma National Park. The aim of this approach is to increase the Saola population by breeding individuals in captivity while simultaneously curbing illegal activities.

The conservation breeding program involves the capture of both male and female Saola, which is accomplished through the use of camera traps and collaboration with local communities. However, there remains room for improvement in this program, including the necessity for staff to acquire a thorough understanding of Saola behavior and monitor their health status. Additionally, adequate funding and parallel work are also crucial factors that require attention.

Forest guard looking at the map of Saola Nature Reserve in Quang Nam province

Strategy 3: Local Community Interviews

SWG has utilized a variety of methods to gather information about Saola, including contacting local conservation organizations and conducting interviews with members of the local community. To date, SWG has conducted over 150 interviews with individuals from the local community since June 2017, providing valuable insights and knowledge to help locate potential Saola habitats in Vietnam.

Strategy 4: Conducting Genetic-related Study

Since 2018, SWG has been actively implementing the method of collecting dung samples for DNA analysis to locate Saola populations. Through training staff to collect and process samples at various sites in Vietnam and utilizing DNA kits, researchers are able to extract Saola DNA from collected dung samples.

the Institute of Biotechnology of the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology is also working on genetic conservation projects focused on Saola. Led by Bui Xuan Nguyen, the team has pursued methods such as cloning Saola embryos through in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, as well as developing techniques for flash-freezing germ cells. Collaborating with biologists from France and Japan, they have made significant strides in genetic research and have contributed to the establishment of a network of laboratories in Southeast Asia dedicated to freezing the sperm and eggs of rare species for conservation purposes.

Impact of Conservation Strategies

Drawing from the aforementioned strategies, SWG endorses the Species Survival Commission's One Plan conservation framework, as espoused by IUCN. The One Plan strategy advocates for the development of integrated management plans and the implementation of conservation measures for all populations of a species across its entire range. Over the past half-decade, the One Plan has enabled Vietnam to engage in active partnerships with various regions to advance Saola conservation efforts.

Increased International Status

SWG collaborates with local governments and conducts interviews with local communities to gain political support and a comprehensive understanding of potential Saola populations. In the last five years, SWG has organized more than 30 meetings in countries within the Saola range. In over 20 of these meetings, SWG presented the One Plan, emphasizing the significance of Saola conservation and raising international awareness of the species.

Captive Breeding Center

SWG has established a collaborative partnership and has made significant improvements to the breeding center for Saola. The facility has been equipped with various amenities to facilitate ex situ breeding of Saola.

Controversy

While the genetic replication/cloning used in preserving Saola population is a controversial topic that appears on the surface about its validity and value, the research team of Nguyen still hold an optimistic attitudes towards this kind of conservation mechanisms. Some biologists argued that the timing of using the DNA cloning mechanism on preserving Saola is weight too early and the money donated on it would be better to use on protecting other species. Also, they doubted about whether there would be benefits in cloning Saola. However, these noises did not defeat the spirit of Nguyen and his team, they believe that once all the barriers and challenges on replicating the genes to clone are well-addressed, the effort that they make would be a success in protecting this unique ecosystem.

Conclusion

In sum, Saola as an endangered species with scattered habitat found in Vietnam still require more attention. Among the four strategies mentioned above, the genetic-related study -- cloning mechanism, is to be considered the most controversial strategies on conservation of Saola. Although we see great attempt of some research groups or teams on preserving the Saola population, such as the establishment of breeding centers by SWG. In order to preserve this rare species in a more effective way, it is crucial to have more biologists and research teams to reach a certain level of agreement on the need of the conservation of Saola, so that greater and more powerful efforts could be contributed into this mission of rescue.