Conservation Efforts for Silver Backed Chevrotain in Vietnam

The silver backed chevrotain, a species found only in Vietnam, is facing a major threat to its survival. It's estimated that there are fewer than 250 individuals remaining in the wild.

Conservation efforts are underway to protect this unique species. A key initiative is the establishment of a protected area in the Vu Quang National Park, which provides a safe habitat for the silver backed chevrotain.

Local communities are also being engaged in the conservation process. They are being educated about the importance of protecting the species and its habitat, and are being encouraged to participate in conservation activities.

The Vietnamese government has committed to protecting the silver backed chevrotain and its habitat, recognizing the species' cultural and ecological significance.

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The rediscovery of the silver-backed chevrotain in Vietnam is a remarkable story. This elusive creature was feared lost to science for nearly 30 years, but camera traps set up in a Vietnamese forest have finally captured images of it.

Scientists installed three camera traps in a lowland forest in southern Vietnam, which captured 275 photos of the animal over five months. These photos were classified as 72 separate events, since multiple photos taken within the space of an hour are considered one event.

The researchers were surprised and overjoyed when they checked the camera traps and saw photographs of a chevrotain with silver flanks. This discovery has increased calls for swift action to protect what remains of the population.

A key aspect to future surveys for lost species will be to work with local communities, as scientists did for the silver-backed chevrotain project. This strategy could prove successful for other species in other parts of the world.

The silver-backed chevrotain is a half-painted beast, with a russet head, neck, and front legs, and a silver-grey body and hind legs rounded off by a white, grizzled bottom. It is neither a mouse nor a deer, but the world's smallest ungulate, or hoofed animal.

Here are some interesting facts about the silver-backed chevrotain:

The silver-backed chevrotain, also known as the Vietnamese mouse-deer, was rediscovered in southern Vietnam after being "lost to science" since 1990.

Camera traps captured 275 photos of the elusive species after researchers set up traps based on local villagers and government forest rangers' reports.

The team later set up 29 more cameras, which recorded 1,881 images in just five months.

For so long, this species seemed to only exist in our imagination, but discovering it in the wild is the first step in ensuring we don't lose it again.

The silver-backed chevrotain is in urgent need of proper assessment to determine its population size, geographic distribution, and threats.

The species was recently rediscovered in 2018 near Nha Trang, Vietnam, providing conclusive evidence that it still survives.

This rediscovery highlights the importance of continued conservation efforts to protect the silver-backed chevrotain.

A donation to the silver-backed chevrotain program headed by Global Wildlife Conservation can contribute to the urgent conservation needs of this species.