Palm sized Elephant shrew rediscovered after 50 years in Djibouti, Read details

A palm-sized relative of elephants was recently sighted for first time in 50 years by rocky outcrops and relatively sparse vegetation. Reportedly, re were tips received by scientists that creatures could be hiding in Djibouti, East Africa. After that, a group of scientists from US and Djibouti had set out in 2019 to look for species even though animals were previously found in Somalia.

According to Livescience, mouse-sized mammal came into sight when a whiff of peanut butter lured him out from rocky, rugged lands of Djibouti in Horn of Africa. mammal is called a Somali sengi and is a species of elephant shrew. It was last seen in 1973 and till w, everything that was kwn about it was through 39 individual specimens collected decades and centuries ago, according to a statement from Global Wildlife conservation.

Photo credits: Steven Herit, Duke University Lemur Center

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Features of Somali sengi

• species looks like a teensy animal and is a mammal.
• It has a long se.
• Big spectacled eyes
• A fur tuft on its tail

Photo credits: Steven Herit, Duke University Lemur Center 

Photo credits: Steven Herit, Duke University Lemur Center

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Houssein Rayaleh who is a co-author, a research ecologist and conservationist with nprofit organization, Association Djibouti Nature, had seen this creature before. Reportedly, locals of that place had seen this creature too and y identified it in photos when scientists interviewed m. Houssein Rayaleh said in statement:

For us living in Djibouti, and by extension Horn of Africa, we never considered sengis to be 'lost,' but this new research does bring Somali sengi back into scientific community, which we value.

As reported by Livescience, researchers had set up 1259 traps at 12 different locations across rocky terrain. In total, y saw 12 Somali sengis and y could easily be distinguished from a similar species because of ir tuft of fur on ir tails. Robin Moore who was one of GWC’s Search for Lost Species program leads said in a statement that usually when y rediscover a lost species, y find only one or two individuals and need to act quiuckly to try to prevent ir imminent extinction.

This is a welcome and wonderful rediscovery during a time of turmoil for our planet, and one that fills us with renewed hope for remaining small mammal species on our most wanted list.

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Photo by Steven Herit, Duke University Lemur Center