Rare 'Mouse Deer' spotted in Vietnam after vanishing for near 30 years

A very rare species of a small deer-like animal believed to be on the verge of extinction has been identified in the northwestern jungle of Vietnam for the first time in nearly 30 years. According to the study, the species is known as silver-backed chevrotain or mouse deer that was last recorded in 1990. The nomenclature of the species is considered to be Tragulus Versicolor and was first found in 1910 based on several animals found near Nha Trang, about 450 kilometres (280 miles) northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.
Experts assumed that the species must have been on the verge of extinction due to hunting with no confirmed sightings since 1990. Nguyen, a Vietnamese biologist who works with Global Wildlife Conservation and is also a PhD student at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research expressed doubts over the deer and whether it might still be found somewhere.

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Experts studied through the reported sightings

A group of experts worked together with the local villagers and did a proper study through the reported sightings. Some put up more than 30 motion-activated cameras in nearby forested habitats. Nguyen said it was amazing and he was overjoyed when they came across silver-backed chevrotain on camera footages. The experts cautioned that just because they found the species so easily does not mean that it is not threatened. A UN report in May warned that about 1 million species face the risk of extinction due to a lot of factors.

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About the species

The silverback chevrotain is a deer-like species whose neck and front legs lies a silver-grey body and legs rounded off by a white, grizzled bottom. They are probably preyed on by leopards, wild dogs, and pythons. Despite the name, they are neither mice nor deer but the world's smallest ungulate, or hoofed animal. The scientists have captured 275 photos of the animal. The concerned authorities have urged to take proper actions to protect the remains of the population. The main priority is to reduce the widespread use of snares to capture animals for the wildlife trade.

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