The Brink of Extinction: The Most Endangered Animals in the World

Soala

Nicknamed “the Asian unicorn,” the soala is a rarely seen forest-dwelling antelope-like creature that has the distinction of being the first mammal to have been discovered in 50 years when it was first sighted in 1992. Known for its distinctively long and straight double horns, the soala can be found in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos and has only been captured on film a handful of times.

Due to their rarity, experts can’t say for sure how many soalas are left, but their population is thought to number anywhere between 70 and 700. While some soala have fallen prey to traps meant to catch wild boars and barking deer, many have been purposely hunted for their impressive horns. Urban development of the Annamite Mountains also threatens the soalas existence as more and more of their habitat is cut down to make way for housing and infrastructure.

The Soala, nicknamed the "Asian Unicorn", was recently seen in Vietnam for the first time in over 15 years! pic.twitter.com/lyI1p7hGoP

— Found On The Net (@FoundOnTheNet) April 26, 2014