Elkin Puente
Mr. Skipper
Encounters 8
February 21, 2024,
The Asian Unicorn
A Wonder Almost Wiped Out
Rarity Almost Gone
There are many creatures in the world, each being unique in its own way. However, some of these unique creatures have low numbers in their population, just on the brink of extinction. The saola is one of these creatures, critically endangered, and almost wiped from this planet. The saola is a herbivorous animal that lives in the forests of the Annamite Mountains and feeds on leaves, nuts, and berries. The saolas have hunters, and habitat loss to worry about, reducing their numbers, and leaving fewer and fewer saolas in the environment. Not much is known about the saola, so its role in the environment is unknown, but it's still important to save these animals since Earth is having animals extinct left and right. Saolas make good prey and a good food source for animals, but the population at least must remain stable and with good numbers. If the saola goes extinct, most animals will lose their food source and will become endangered as well.
Saola’s Elegance Unraveled
The saola, a truly fascinating creature, was such an incredible and unexpected discovery that “its discovery required the creation of a new genus (Pseudoryx)” (Huffman). The saola has a unique pattern and color scheme on its fur, and despite the habitat’s damp weather, its fur is “surprisingly soft and thin” (Huffman). The saola has the scientific name “Pseudoryx Nghetinhensis” (Bales). However, its common name, “Saola,” means “spinning wheel posts in local language” and was “probably given to the species because of the way the horns resemble tapered posts of a spinning wheel” (Holcomb). The Saola has a fascinating amount of fur colors, such as brown, black, white, and cream colors. They weigh somewhere from 80-100 pounds, which isn’t much for what it is. The saola, both genders, have two horns at the top of their heads, “probably used for protection against predators” (Holcomb). As for the facial features, “a variable pattern of spots and slashes” (Huffman) is present on a saola’s face. A saola’s nose is brown, and they have dark hazel eyes, but they seem more black despite the actual color. They also have white patches that may lead to their scent glands. The saolas have unique body features, some saolas have white patches on the side of their necks, and from their shoulders to the lower back is a black stripe of fur. The underside of the saola is a lighter shade of brown; “almond.” Its backside has an almond marking going from the top of one hind leg to the other. Finally, the tail of a saola is striped, with black, brown, and almond colors. The saola’s head is “described as delicately shaped” by researchers, with its skull making the form resemble an “almost bulging face” (Huffman). The saola certainly has a very unique pattern of differently colored fur all over its body.
Home Sweet Home, Saola
The Saola has two different habitats, each of the two having different surroundings and features. First of all, saolas are known to be “diurnal” (Bales) animals, meaning that they are mostly awake during the daytime. The first of the two habitats is any forest in the Annamite Mountains. The temperature that this habitat usually goes through is approximately 76 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that this is a suitable temperature for saolas to live in. It is said that they live in “what forest still remains” (Bales) because of deforestation, which is one thing that puts the environment in danger and reduces the numbers of these forests, causing the saolas to perish from habitat loss. The second habitat saolas live in is the base of mountains, and this is where they “ would have once most commonly roamed” (Bales), at least when they're found, since they are extremely rare, so not any saola can just casually appear. What removes this habitat from the saolas is human settlements being built and destroying the habitats in the process of construction. Saolas are rare, so the population in these habitats is unknown. However, deforestation and/or human settlements still make the population smaller, making them even more difficult to find in the wild. Hopefully, people can reserve these habitats for the saolas to live in peace, and to stop decreasing their numbers.
Every Being Needs a Feast, or Not to be Feasted On
The saola population has such low numbers it is practically hanging by a thread. The very few remaining saolas in the world need to feed themselves, so their bodies can absorb their needed nutrients, keeping them alive, so they can make the population last. Saolas are number two in the dreaded food chain, right after plants, making them herbivorous creatures. Saolas are plant eaters, like “all other antelope species” (Bales), and cattle, so they “primarily feed on the leaves of figs” (Bales), but sometimes of other trees and bushes, even stems along rivers. As for little non-plant foods, they also eat simple snacks such as nuts and berries. Unfortunately, since the saola is such a rare animal, very little is known about its diet and what it feeds itself with. However, it is known that many larger carnivorous animals seem to prey on the saola, making these predators some of the main reasons saolas are so critically endangered. Predators that consume the poor saolas include “larger animals including tigers and crocodiles” (Bales), since they share a habitat, making saolas easy to find, and more available to feast on. To summarize what a saola eats, they are herbivorous creatures that enjoy munching on plants like the leaves on figs, and stems, and enjoy eating simple snacks like nuts and berries.
Causes for Population Reduction
The saola has a wide variety of things that make it endangered. While it is a fascinating creature so far, that does not change the fact that it is a critically endangered species. As wonderful as this animal may be, there are a few things that cause the saola’s population to decrease. First, there is captivity. Hunters often try to put saolas in captivity, due to their “importance to the scientific community” (Holcomb). The saola’s importance comes from the fact that it is a highly rare species, so getting to a saola can call for studying, or further investigation about its population. However, saolas seem to not live well in this intense state, so they perish. Captivity is most likely one of the reasons why saolas are so critically endangered, because “Saola doesn’t do well in captivity, and die soon after capture” (Holcomb). Saolas can be hunted for their horns as well because they are known as a “prized trophy amongst locals” (Bales). Their horns are rare, which is what makes them extremely valuable. Another reason saolas are endangered is because saolas, like many other herbivores, are hunted by larger animals. In this case, saolas are preyed on by intimidating carnivores such as tigers and alligators, because they “share their habitats” (Bales). Saolas are not the only animals that are hunted in their habitat, so hunters place traps for other woodland critters that roam the place. However, saolas are not clever creatures and are “commonly caught in traps that are set for other animals” (Bales) in their habitat, causing them to perish. In the subject of habitats, events such as deforestation also cause saolas to lose their homes like many other animals, and they pass away due to hunger, thirst, or lack of sleep. Saolas roam forests, and the base of mountains, so human settlements being built at the base of mountains removes their secondary habitat, causing the same issues as deforestation would, removing their homes and leaving the poor saolas with nothing.
Saolas at The End of the Day
At the end of the day, saolas are unique creatures, and “perhaps the most surprising zoological find of the 20th century” (Saola’s Remarkable Discovery). And with them being endangered, only comes one main problem; The food chain. The saola is known to be a “herbivorous animal” (Bales), meaning that they get feasted on by larger and more intimidating animals, like tigers and crocodiles. This means that if the saolas were to go extinct, the predators that live in the saolas habitat would have nothing to eat, since all the saolas, their food source, would be gone. The saolas are good prey, which is why they should be preserved so that they can have the right numbers in their population to give their predators the right amount of food, without making the saolas endangered. While not specified what was done exactly, “Intense conservation efforts were started in 1997 to ensure the survival of these creatures” (Holcomb). Saolas should be preserved due to their rarity and because of their elegant appearance. They are important to the science community since their horns are precious to locals because their horns are “unlike the horns of any animal then known from South Asia” (Saola’s Remarkable Discovery). When the saolas are found, scientists study and discover more about these unique creatures. Ways to preserve this majestic being is to stop hunting them, and putting them into captivity. Captivity is a state in which the saola “does not seem to survive at all well” (Bales). It will be best if the saolas are studied in the few spots they are found in the wild, to prevent them from perishing due to the rough state. Human settlements should also be stopped because they are built at the base of mountains, the saolas' habitat, causing habitat loss and the eventual death of many more saolas. Forests should be taken care of more since deforestation is another cause that makes saolas perish. There are many ways to preserve saolas, and hopefully, they are reserved, to avoid the unfortunate eventual extinction of this majestic species.
Works Cited
Bales, Rebecca. “Predators and Threats.” A-Z Animals, 2008, a-z-animals.com/animals/saola/#single-animal-text.
Holcomb, Darce. "Pseudoryx nghetinhensis." Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pseudoryx_nghetinhensis/.
Huffman, Brent. “Conservation Status.” Ultimate Ungulates, www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Pseudoryx_nghetinhensisFull.html.
“Saola’s Remarkable Discovery.” The Saola Working Group, www.savethesaola.org/what-is-a-saola/.
Number’s Revival
By Elkin Puente
February 23, 2024
Deep in the woods
Are creatures unknown
Some may be young
Some may be full-grown
The saola is a wonder
Discovered 32 years ago
But with dangers in every corner
The population just cannot grow
What exactly is a saola?
Is what you might ask
It's a creature that sees surviving
As its main and urgent task
Black, Brown, and White
And a little bit of Almond too
Its fur is extremely colorful
It is wonderful to view
It's almost like a combo
Of a goat and a deer
It looks amazing and unique
It must not disappear
So much of it is unknown
And yet to be discovered
The saola should be preserved
So their numbers can be recovered
There are a few threats
Reducing the population
It’s critically endangered
It’s in a rough situation
While the saola eats its plants
Somewhere in a bush
A foe always lies
Ready to give a push
It can be a tiger
Hiding to make a bounce
It watches its prey’s every move
Getting ready to pounce
We humans make an impact too
With the settlements we build
They destroy all the habitats
Causing saolas to be killed
Hunting is an issue
It's pretty common as well
In captivity, they won’t survive
We’ll have to say farewell
The Saola must be preserved
To ensure their survival
Quit the hunt, quit the build
To encourage their revival