New animals

In northern Vietnam, in thick forests in the North Annamite Mountains, there is a wildlife park called Vu Quang. In 1986, the area was made an official forest reserve. In 2002, 550 square kilometers of the area were declared a National Park. 【小题1】. It is in an area that is hard to get to, for one thing. And it’s an area that’s difficult to walk through because the rocks are covered with algae and are very slippery.

【小题2】. In the last twenty years, several new species of animals that have never been seen anywhere in the world before have been discovered there. Some of them are so new that scientists haven’t given them official names yet!

The new animals discovered at the park include the Vu Quang ox or Saola, a “slow” deer, a giant muntjac (the world’s largest, in fact), a black deer and a “holy” goat. 【小题3】, as well as two species of amphibians and 15 species of reptiles.

The Saola was the first new species of large mammal to be discovered in more than fifty years, so it caused a lot of excitement in the scientific world. It is a strange goat-like creature that looks as if it is somehow related to cattle. It has horns that can be between one and two feet long, and that seem to come out of the animal’s head at slightly different angles. 【小题4】.

The creature had hidden safely for generations in the Vu Quang area. But once it was discovered, it was in danger. 【小题5】. Sadly, the Saola is now being hunted and may well end up as another endangered species.