Mysterious animals revealed in the deep forests of Vietnam

The largest ever camera trap campaign conducted by conservation organizations in 21 forests in Vietnam has recorded images of a number of rare and mysterious animal species that are very difficult to see in the wild.

The Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has just announced the results of the largest camera trap survey ever in Vietnam.

To record images of animals in the deep forest, the project set up 1,176 camera traps in 21 special-use and protective forests in 8 provinces and cities.

A rare gaur was recorded by a camera trap in Cat Tien National Park. This is one of the ungulate species classified as vulnerable in Vietnam with a narrow distribution area. Cat Tien National Park is home to the largest gaur population in Vietnam.

The camera trapping campaign was conducted between 2019 and 2023. Millions of images were taken, with 120,000 animal records. Pictured is a civet spotted in Cuc Phuong National Park.

The Owston's civet was recorded in Vu Quang National Park, Ha Tinh Province. This is one of the rarest civet species in the world, scattered from the North to the Central of our country. In addition, this species is also recorded in the western region of Laos and southern China.

Camera traps recorded a population of red-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nemaeus) in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. This is a rare and endemic primate species, critically endangered in Vietnam. Da Nang's Son Tra Peninsula is where the largest population of red-shanked douc langurs is currently recorded.

An individual of the Golden Cash Chicken was recorded in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. This is a rare bird species of Vietnam, with high scientific, aesthetic and commercial value. In recent years, the number of this species has decreased rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting.

A sun bear was recorded in Tay Giang protective forest. Once a species with a wide distribution range in Vietnam, the number of sun bears in the wild is now very rare, and the distribution range has also narrowed significantly.

A wild Asiatic black bear was also recorded in the Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve. Asiatic black bears are much larger than Asian sun bears. They have long black fur and a white V-shaped strip of fur on their chest. Asiatic black bears are listed in the Red Book of the World Conservation Union, and are among the endangered animals that need to be preserved.

A large-antlered muntjac was recorded in Vu Quang National Park. In 1994, for the first time, a large-antlered muntjac was recorded in Vietnam, and at the same time, it was a new species in the world. This is a very rare species, valuable for gene conservation, and is classified as critically endangered.

The Truong Son muntjac population was recorded in Song Thanh National Park. This is also a rare species, with a limited distribution area and limited habitat in old forests, making them easily hunted and trapped regularly.

Camera traps recorded an individual Son Duong in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. This is a rare and endangered species with a small number in the wild and declining over time.

A pig badger individual was recorded. This is near-endangered according to the world red book.

Camera traps recorded an individual crested pheasant . This is an endemic, critically endangered subspecies of Vietnam. This species usually lives and feeds in primary and secondary moist evergreen forests on the tops and slopes of hills with different slopes at altitudes from 100 - 1000m.

A deer individual was recorded in the deep forest. Once a species with a wide range of habitat in Vietnam, the recording of deer individuals in the wild is becoming increasingly rare. The species is currently classified as vulnerable, due to overhunting as well as habitat loss.

The rare Truong Son striped rabbit was also recorded in this camera trap. This rabbit species is endemic to the Vietnam-Laos border area, first recorded in 2000 in the Central region (Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Binh) of Vietnam. This rabbit species is considered an ancient animal and is one of two rare striped rabbit species in the world.

According to the Project Management Board, the results of the camera traps showed that although wildlife has seriously declined in 21 special-use and protection forests, the species richness and number of endemic species are relatively high, with 9 endemic species and 21 endemic species of the Truong Son range. Rare species such as the Large-antlered Muntjac and Sun Bear were also discovered, contributing to providing some records of these species in Vietnam in the past 20 years.

The second phase of the project is underway in 21 special-use and protection forests, to assess biodiversity trends in the project areas. The second round of camera trapping is expected to end in 2025.