As we all navigate increasingly uncertain global times, the effects are being felt far beyond where many of us live, including in the remote communities of the Annamite Mountains. Rising costs are making everyday life more difficult, and beginning to impact not only conservation efforts, but also the livelihoods of our Lao Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team, a dedicated group of over 35 individuals. Many of our Lao conservationists are currently unable to travel as fuel prices have surged, slowing vital work to protect one of the world’s most unique and irreplaceable bioregions. Your support can make a real difference. By donating now, or even better, becoming a monthly donor, you help ensure that this vital work continues. The majority of our funding is spent in-country, with around 80% of your donation directly supporting local jobs of our incredible Lao team members, and their conservation action on the ground. With consistent monthly support, we can plan ahead, respond to challenges, and continue protecting both nature and the communities who depend on it.
This week marks Pi Mai, the Lao New Year, one of the most important and joyful celebrations of the year. Pi Mai is a time for renewal, family, and reflection. Across Lao, people come together to clean their homes, visit temples, and pour water over Buddha statues and one another as a symbol of cleansing and fresh beginnings. It is also a time to show respect to parents, elders, and ancestors, often through gentle water blessings and well-wishes for the year ahead. A meaningful part of the celebration is the Basi ceremony. In this traditional ritual, family and community members gather together symbolizing unity, balance, and good fortune. White cotton strings are tied around the wrists as a blessing for health, happiness, and protection. We send our warmest wishes to all Lao communities, may this New Year bring peace, strength, and renewed hope.
Seminar Catch Up
Did you miss our recent seminar on The Story of the Lao Newt? You can now watch it on YouTube. The seminar is presented by Bryan L. Stuart, Ph.D., the Research Curator of Herpetology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. He has been working on biodiversity and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Lao PDR since 1998, initially with the Wildlife Conservation Society Laos Program and more recently, with the Department of Biology at the National University of Laos. He is passionate about capacity building of Lao nationals in biodiversity science. Watch the seminar here.
Catch up on our past seminars on our YouTube channelwhere you can learn about The Irreplaceable Annamite Mountains Bioregion and many more!
Warm regards,
The Saola Foundation Team
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains Bioregions. Your voice matters.
Join us on Thursday 19th March as Bryan L. Stuart talks about the Lao Newt (Laotriton laoensis). The Lao Newt is endemic to a small geographic area in northern Laos. This large, colorful, and rare salamander species is highly sought after in the international pet trade, and illegal harvesting remains a threat to its persistence in the wild. This is a story on the discovery, threat, and conservation efforts for the Lao Newt that demonstrates the critical importance of capacity building for biodiversity conservation in Laos.
The talk is free, but registration is required, which you can do here. Local times for the talk are listed below.
Meet the Speaker
Bryan L. Stuart, Ph.D., is the Research Curator of Herpetology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. He has been working on biodiversity and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Lao PDR since 1998, initially with the Wildlife Conservation Society Laos Program and more recently, with the Department of Biology at the National University of Laos. He is passionate about capacity building of Lao nationals in biodiversity science.
Seminar local times on Thursday 19th March: 07:00 am US Pacific 08:00 am US Mountain 09:00 am US Central 10:00 am US Eastern 14:00 London 15:00 most of continental Europe 21:00 Vientiane/Hanoi/Bangkok 22:00: Singapore/Beijing/Hong Kong/Taipei
Catch up on our past seminars on our YouTube channelwhere you can learn about The Irreplaceable Annamite Mountains Bioregion and many more!
Warm regards,
The Saola Foundation Team
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains Bioregions. Your voice matters.
Welcome to our first Saola Foundation newsletter of 2026!
As we begin a new year, we want to share a brief update from the field and thank you for all your support and being part of this journey with us.
While 2025 did not yield a confirmed Saola detection, the results from our pilot survey area in the Nam Chouan – Nam Xang area continue to give us hope.
In 2025, Saola search activities were conducted across three major field periods (May – July, September and November – December), covering 57 one-square-kilometre survey units. Of these, 46 units achieved greater than 20% systematic coverage, with a total of 3,584 hectares surveyed overall.
Although none of the 261 dung samples the team collected tested positive for Saola DNA (from 2,008 ungulate dung piles recorded), several strong surrogate indicators make us confident that if Saolas are present in the area, our survey design and intensity are sufficient to detect them.
Detection rates of other species of interest were generally high:
Muntjac: detected in 91% of surveyed units with more than 20% coverage
Western Serow: in 85%
Sambar: in 26%
Indochinese Grey Leaf Monkey: in 50%
Red-shanked Douc: in 28%
These high detection rates, particularly for ungulates, suggest that densities of some species are close to natural levels. Of particular interest the survey area appears to hold a globally significant population of Indochinese Grey Leaf Monkey.
Encouragingly, threat incidence across the landscape remained low. Evidence of hunting was detected in only 16 – 17% of survey units, and snares, one of the most serious threats, were found only once in 2025.
More detailed information about our work will be shared in our 2025 Annual Report, which will be released later this year. We look forward to sharing that with you soon.
Tracker Training in Thailand
The Saola Foundation team with Danni Larsen, Bjarne Klausen, and Sandie Munk from Odense Zoo (top left, second from left), and Jonathan Shapiro representing CyberTracker Conservation (top right, second from left), seated at the headquarters of Khao Yai National Park, Thailand.
Last October, eighteen members of the Saola Foundation Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team participated in a 10-day intensive animal tracks and signs training at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, made possible thanks to the support of the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP). Building on the success of our 2024 pilot Study Tour, the program strengthened our capacity to detect and conserve the Critically Endangered Saola and other threatened species across the Annamite Mountains Bioregion.
The training brought together our six apprentice Lao animal trackers, the two field team leaders, four technical field assistants, the logistics unit leader, and a graduate intern from the National University of Lao. It was led by Jonathan Shapiro representing CyberTracker Conservation, with support from Rob Timmins (Saola Foundation Technical Director) and the field team leaders Phonesouk Chanthalavong and Vilayvone Sengmany. While focused on the apprentice trackers, the broader field team also participated, ensuring every member is equipped with advanced skills.
Khao Yai National Park’s long-term protection and high wildlife densities made it an ideal training ground. In just 10 days, the team observed abundant tracks and signs of elephants, Sambar, muntjac, chevrotain, Dhole, Golden Jackal, civets, porcupine, bear, Mainland Leopard Cat, macaques, squirrels, monitor lizards, and many other species. All are found in the Annamite Mountains Bioregion, making the training directly relevant to conserving this important and fragile ecosystem.
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina
Each day began in the early-morning, during a peak of animal activity, searching primarily for large mammal signs, that the team could then work together to interpret, building critical observation skills. Night safaris and dawn observations allowed the team to link observed animal behavior with tracks and dung, reinforcing the scientific discipline of separating observation from interpretation – a core principle in the Saola Foundation approach. The team also made plaster casts, detailed sketches, and transparency tracings of tracks for instructional resources.
(Top Left) The Saola Foundation team looking at different animal footprint casts. (Top Right) The Saola Foundation team measuring step lengths (using arm and hand as a ruler) of a track pattern. (Bottom) Transparency tracking of a small carnivore – perhaps a Mainland Leopard Cat [Prionailurus bengalensis] or civet.
A highlight was a mock CyberTracker evaluation, introducing participants to internationally recognized tracking assessments. Group discussions often led to revising interpretations based on new evidence, modeling scientific reasoning and collaborative problem-solving.
Demonstrating the gait, the sequence of individual leg movements, of an animal.
Beyond training, valuable data on the track characteristics of large mammal species were collected, contributing to the growing knowledge base of Southeast Asian wildlife. Interactions with Khao Yai National Park staff and representatives from Odense Zoo, a valued Saola Foundation donor, reinforced the global collaboration supporting our mission.
This study tour was a highly successful investment in building the scientific rigor, observational skill, and field confidence of our team. Strengthening the Saola Foundation team directly advances our mission to protect and conserve the Saola and the rich biodiversity of the Annamite Mountains Bioregion for uncountable generations to come, and to invest in the future national conservation leaders, champions and other human resources to make it happen.
The Saola Foundation team alongside Jonathan Shapiro and the management and conservation staff of Khao Yai National Park after a successful meeting featuring organisational presentations and an engaging Q&A discussion.
Warm regards,
The Saola Foundation Team
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains Bioregions. Your voice matters.
Design by Matt Wood by Made Noise. Photography by Souksamlan Laladeth / Saola Foundation
From all of us at the Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains Conservation, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a wonderful New Year! This years greeting features members of our Scent Detection Dog Team including our remarkable scent detection dogs, Bertie and Norman, who have been trained to detect the scent of potential Saola dung as part of our flagship mission. We are incredibly proud of the work they are doing, and it wouldn’t have been possible without our partners at Working Dogs for Conservation. Together, we are making a real difference for Saola and the Annamite Mountains.
A Few Highlights
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on an exciting year of progress.
This year marked a major milestone with the signing of our first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Lao PDR, laying the groundwork for sustained conservation efforts in Bolikhamxay Province.
Our Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Field Team have been deep in the forest and collected 174 ungulate dung samples for DNA testing in the first half of the year alone! While no confirmed Saola DNA has yet been detected, our team continues the intensive search for Saola at pace – for the rest of the year and into 2026.
We were also thrilled to attend the World Conservation Congress (WCC) for the first time, proudly representing the Annamite Mountains as the sole voice for this unique region on the global stage. We are thankful to our friends at Synchronicity Earth for enabling this opportunity.
We also welcomed Georgie Bradbury as our Fundraising and Communications Director, Vanvay Chitpaseuth as our Provincial Government of Lao (GoL) Liaison, Xaisavanh Khiewvongphachan as our Data and GIS Manager and Analyst, and strengthened our governance with the addition of two new Board members, Yin Hang and Alessandro Badalotti. We are delighted to have them on board.
Our Strategic Plan for 2025–2027 was finalized, setting clear priorities for our conservation, research, and global engagement. There’s much more happening behind the scenes, so keep your eyes peeled for the next newsletter for further updates on our fieldwork, conservation successes, and organizational milestones.
From the Saola Foundation team pictured here (and those not shown), we’re excited for 2026 and grateful for your ongoing support!
Warm regards,
The Saola Foundation Team
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains. Your voice matters.
This seasonal issue is filled with gratitude, remembrance, and festive gifts that support our conservation work in the Annamite Mountains.
With Gratitude to Marta Falabrino and Fondazione La Lomellina
In 2023, Fondazione La Lomellina provided crucial support that allowed us to resupply our DNA consumables, enabling Saola DNA testing at a critical moment which is an essential step in our conservation work.
We are deeply grateful to Marta Falabrino, the director of the Foundation, for her dedication, vision, and collaboration over the years. Her leadership has helped bring meaningful environmental projects to life, including supporting Saola conservation.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Carlo Campanini Bonomi, President and Founder of Fondazione La Lomellina, for his unwavering commitment to protecting some of the earth’s rarest ungulates. Their combined dedication has made a real difference in conserving endangered species and supporting vital conservation efforts.
We wish Marta all the very best in her next chapter and extend our heartfelt thanks to Fondazione La Lomellina for their ongoing commitment to conservation.
In Memoriam: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Mathew Frith
It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Mathew Frith, a cherished supporter of the Saola Foundation and a dedicated donor since 2022. Mathew’s generosity, compassion, and unwavering commitment to conservation have made a meaningful and lasting impact on our work in the Annamite Mountains. Over the past several years, Mathew’s support has helped advance critical efforts to protect some of the world’s rarest and most threatened species.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mathew’s family, friends, and all who knew him. The Saola Foundation is truly saddened by this loss, and we are grateful for the legacy of kindness and conservation he leaves behind.
Enter Our Saola Plushie Raffle!
We are raffling one beautiful, handmade Saola plushie generously gifted to us by Quilts & Art, a company with a mission to provide training and meaningful work to the deaf and otherwise disabled victims of Polio. The Saola plushie features unique beaded fabric showcasing traditional patterns hand-woven by a women’s cooperative in A Luoi commune, located in the Vietnamese part of the Annamite Mountains in the province of Hue. Quilts & Art excels in giving people with disabilities a unique opportunity to learn valuable life skills and find employment in a safe environment.
How to enter: • Donate: Please make a donation of at least $10 here: https://www.saolafoundation.org/donate/ • Confirm Your Entry: Reply to your automatic payment email with the word “Raffle” to info@saolafoundation.org. • Multiple Entries: You can enter as many times as you wish with repeat donations. • Last Day for Entries: End of the day on Wednesday 10th December at 00:00 GMT. • Winner Notification: The winner will be contacted via email on Thursday 11th December.
Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. If we don’t hear back from you, we will draw the raffle again.
Gifts That Give Back This Holiday Season
We are delighted to feature Mai Der Vang’s book of poetry, Primordial. Mai Der has generously offered to donate all profits from the book to the Saola Foundation and will cover postage for signed copies for any buyers.
Mai Der Vang’s poetry—lyrically insistent and visually compelling—investigates the collective trauma and resilience of Hmong people, the cultural and environmental repercussions of the Vietnam War, the lives of refugees, and the postmemory carried by their descendants. Primordial turns to the ecological and generational impact of violence, meditating on climate, origin, and fate. With profound care, Vang addresses the plight of the Saola, an extremely rare and critically endangered antelope-like species from the Annamite Mountains, whose last known camera trap image was in 2013. The collection examines the Saola’s relationship to Hmong identity and cosmology, exploring exile, precarity, and survival, written during a difficult pregnancy and postpartum period as urgent reflections on extinction.
Mai Der Vang is the author of Primordial (Graywolf Press, 2025), Yellow Rain (Graywolf Press, 2021), and Afterland (Graywolf Press, 2017). Her honors include the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets, an American Book Award, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, and the First Book Award from the Academy of American Poets, among others. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim and Lannan Literary Fellowship and currently teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Fresno State while serving as the Endowed Chair in Creative Writing at Texas State University.
Discover the whimsical “Saola Asian Unicorn” fragrance from Sanctuary, a brand dedicated to creating scents for those who care about our planet. This playful perfume blends juicy pineapple with lush greenery and delicate Southeast Asian jasmine, evoking a sense of adventure and joy. Even better, 20% of every sale supports the Saola Foundation and Sanctuary also ensures 100% transparency in ingredients and processes, with a clean formulation that’s as ethical as it is enchanting.
If you find yourself in Lao PDR or planning a trip don’t miss Comma Coffee, an independent roaster with cafés in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. They work directly with small farmers to source the finest beans and ensure their staff earn a living wage while gaining valuable skills. Try their exclusive “Saola Blend”, a medium roast with nutty, chocolate notes, where a portion of sales goes to the Saola Foundation!
Warm regards,
The Saola Foundation Team
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains. Your voice matters.
During September we are raising awareness and appealing for more supporters to join our mission. Please do share our ads if you see them, the further they reach the more tracks we can make! to protect the incredible wildlife of the Annamite Mountains Bioregion.
On the Ground in Montana with Working Dogs for Conservation
Our Technical Director, Rob Timmins, and Research Associate, Minh Nguyen, recently traveled to Montana to visit our partner, Working Dogs for Conservation. They were joined by Aimee Hurt, Co-Founder and Director of Special Projects, who shared insights into the organization’s pioneering work. Together, they observed how specially trained dogs are deployed across a variety of detection projects, showcasing the remarkable ways these canine partners contribute to conservation and research efforts.
Saola Foundation at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025
We will be attending the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi this October. This major global event is held every four years to set priorities for nature conservation and sustainable development. We are delighted to have been selected to host a talk at the Asia Pavilion on 10th October, a great opportunity for our team to present the Saola Foundations efforts to safeguard the Annamite Mountains Bioregion and protect the unique and irreplaceable wildlife that call this home. Let us know if you will be there!
Did you miss the Saola Foundation 2025 Annual Get Together?
We are pleased to share that the full recording is now available. This exclusive event featured members of our Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team, who took supporters behind the scenes to highlight our progress, values, and vision for the future. From the first ever footage of our detection dog unit in action to remarkable wildlife encounters and insights from the field, the program offered a unique glimpse into the heart of our work.
Catch up on recent seminar on the Annamite Mountains
Spanning over 1,100 km across Lao, Viet Nam, and into Cambodia, the Annamite Mountains are one of the world’s least-known but most important biodiversity hotspots. In this webinar, Robert Timmins, our Technical Director, explores why this region is irreplaceable and showcases the extraordinary endemic wildlife whose origins stretch back over 10 million years. You can now watch the full seminar and explore more of our past events on our YouTube channel.
Warm regards,
The Saola Foundation Team
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains. Your voice matters.
On this special day we are thrilled to take you on a journey deep into the tropical forest with our field team, where we believe Saola still roam. This short film, created by our award winning Media Lead Souksamlan Laladeth, offers a powerful and beautifully shot introduction to the Saola Foundation and our flagship mission to find and save the Saola in the wild. From ground-breaking field techniques to meaningful collaboration with local communities, the video captures the heart of our conservation work. We hope it inspires you as much as it inspires us. Watch now and share with your friends to help us spread the word: https://youtu.be/tO4BcXeHnkQ
Why World Saola Day Matters
World Saola Day, celebrated on July 9th, shines a spotlight on one of the world’s rarest and most mysterious animals, the Saola, often called the “Asian unicorn.” Discovered only in 1992 and critically endangered, the Saola is a symbol of both the rich biodiversity and the urgent conservation challenges in the Annamite Mountains. With possibly fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild and none in captivity, this elusive species faces imminent extinction due to habitat loss and poaching. World Saola Day raises awareness of the Saola’s plight and serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need to find and save this unique animal. It also highlights the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystems of the Annamite Mountains the Saola calls home, habitats that support countless other endangered and endemic species.
Voices from the Annamites: Field Team Q&A
In recognition of World Saola Day, we sat down with Chanthasone Phommachanh, Lao Programs Director, and Vilayvone Sengmany, Deputy Technical Team Leader, to hear directly from the Lao team about our work in the Annamite Mountains and how we are making a real impact on the ground.
From field surveys and detection dog teams to collaborating with global partners, Chanthasone and Vilayvone share our scientific approach, passion and hope to save the elusive Saola from extinction.
Enter Our Saola Plushie Raffle!
Celebrate World Saola Day with a chance to win an exclusive Saola plushie! Every entry helps fund our work in the field.
We are raffling one beautiful, handmade plushie generously gifted to us by Quilts & Art, a company with a mission to provide training and meaningful work to the deaf and otherwise disabled victims of Polio. The Saola plushie is made with a unique beaded fabric that emphasizes traditional patterns hand-woven by a women’s cooperative in A Luoi commune, located in the Vietnamese part of the Annamite Mountains in the province of Hue. Quilts & Art excels in giving people with disabilities a unique opportunity to learn valuable life skills and find employment in a safe environment.
How to enter:
Donate: Please make a donation of at least $10 here or via the donation button below.
Confirm Your Entry: Reply to your automatic payment email with the word “Raffle” to info@saolafoundation.org.
Multiple Entries: You can enter as many times as you wish with repeat donations.
Last Day for Entries: End of the day on Sunday 13th July at 00:00 BST.
Winner Notification: The winner will be contacted via email on Monday 14th July. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. If we don’t hear back from you, we will draw the raffle again.
Warm regards,
The Saola Foundation Team
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains. Your voice matters.
Stretching over 1,100 km along the border of Lao and Viet Nam and extending into Cambodia, the rugged Annamite Mountains are a little known biodiversity hotspot, hosting a high concentration of endemic species facing global extinction. Despite not receiving the global attention it deserves, there is more at stake in this region than in almost any other part of the world.
Join our exclusive webinar where Robert Timmins, Saola Foundation Technical Director, will share what makes this such a special place, why it is irreplaceable, and highlight some of the incredible, endemic wildlife whose origins can be traced back to over 10 million years ago.
Hosted by Dr. Lorraine Scotson, CEO of the Saola Foundation, and moderated by Chanthasone “Olay” Phommachanh, Saola Foundation’s Lao Programs Director, this is a seminar not to be missed.
The seminar is free, but registration is required, which you can do here. Local times for the talk are listed below.
Meet the Speaker
Robert Timmins, Saola Foundation Technical Director, is probably the most experienced survey biologist in Indochina, specializing in mammals, birds, and turtles. He has over 30 years of field experience in the most remote areas of Lao, Viet Nam, and Cambodia, and has helped describe several new species to science from the region. He holds a BA Hons. Natural Science from St. John’s College, Cambridge. Robert is an active member of several prestigious associations, including the IUCN—SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group and Saola Working Group. As the Technical Director of the Saola Foundation, he leads our conservation efforts. Throughout his career, he has undertaken various research projects, conservation assessments, and biodiversity impact assessments in the region.
Seminar local times on Friday 20th June: 06:00 am US Pacific 07:00 am US Mountain 08:00 am US Central 09:00 am US Eastern 14:00 London 15:00 most of continental Europe 20:00 Vientiane/Hanoi/Bangkok 21:00: Singapore/Beijing/Hong Kong/Taipei
Missed our previous seminars? Catch up on our YouTube channel! Explore the exciting discovery of an undescribed species of leaf monkey and learn about the Critically Endangered Large-Antlered Muntjac. Don’t miss these fascinating insights into some of the world’s rarest wildlife!
From all of us at the Saola Foundation, many of whom are proud Lao nationals working tirelessly to protect the Annamite Mountains – we extend our warmest wishes for happiness, health, and renewal to you and your loved ones during Lao New Year (Pi Mai).
This year, Lao New Year takes place from Monday, April 14 to Wednesday, April 16. It is a vibrant and deeply meaningful celebration, marking the start of the traditional solar year and the coming rainy season – a time of fresh beginnings for people, nature, and communities alike.
What Happens During Lao New Year (Pi Mai)? Lao New Year is a time of joy, tradition, and connection. Here are some of the meaningful ways it’s celebrated:
Water blessing and playful splashing, symbolizing the washing away of misfortune and the welcoming of a clean, bright new year.
Temple visits and rituals, where families offer food to monks, wash sacred Buddha statues, and build sand stupas to earn merit.
Baci ceremonies (ບາສີ), where white strings are tied around the wrists to offer blessings of health, good luck, and harmony.
Family gatherings and honoring elders, as loved ones come together to share meals, stories, and traditional blessings.
Parades and cultural events, with traditional music, dancing, and colorful processions throughout towns and villages.
Festive foods, such as laap (minced meat salad), sticky rice, papaya salad, and sweet rice treats like khao tom.
Home and village cleaning, clearing away the old year to make room for new blessings and good fortune.
Acts of merit, donating to temples, and helping those in need.
A deep connection to nature, as the festival aligns with seasonal rhythms and the hopes of new life and growth.
This time of year, reminds us of our deep connection and responsibility to our natural world and the importance of our work to protect the irreplaceable Annamite habitat.
Throughout the year we remain committed to saving the Saola and the many other species facing imminent global extinction. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Historic Agreement Signed to Save the Saola! Representatives and guests from the Saola Foundation, the Department of Forestry and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Provincial Office of Bolikhamxay Province, the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office of Bolikhamxay, the District Agriculture and Forestry Offices of three districts covered by the MoU, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and other officials from the Government of Lao PDR, pose for a photo after signing the MoU
We are thrilled to share an exciting milestone for Saola conservation and the Annamite Mountains. The Saola Foundation has signed a transformative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). This landmark agreement, ratified in February 2025, sets the stage for unprecedented collaborative conservation efforts in the Annamite Mountains.
Dr. Lorraine Scotson, CEO of the Saola Foundation, and Dr. Oupakone Alounsavat, Deputy Director General of the Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, from the Government of Lao PDR, signing the MoU agreement
What This Means
Over the next two years, the Saola Foundation will lead critical initiatives in Bolikhamxay Province, including:
Intensive Saola search activities – Searching tirelessly to locate and protect this elusive species with our dedicated Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team.
Capacity building – Strengthening the skills and expertise of both our Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team and technical staff from our partner, the Department of Forestry.
Sustainable conservation – Developing long-term strategies to preserve Annamite biodiversity while engaging local communities.
“This is a landmark partnership,” says Dr Lorraine Scotson, CEO of the Saola Foundation. “…critical to our race to save Saola and a first step in our broader mission to save overlooked species facing global extinction in the Annamite Mountains.”
With this partnership, we are committed to applying cutting-edge research, innovative conservation strategies, and strong community involvement to ensure the survival of the Saola and the many other species facing imminent global extinction and their critical habitat. Our planned intensive Saola search activities sets a new benchmark for conservation efforts in Southeast Asia!
The Saola Foundation celebrating after the MoU signing
Thank You for Your Support!
We couldn’t have reached this historic moment without your dedication and belief in our mission. Your ongoing support, whether through spreading awareness, engaging with our updates, or contributing directly, fuels our conservation work in the Annamite Mountains.
If you would like to further support our work, please consider making a donation. Every contribution, big or small, helps us take another step toward securing the future of the Saola and the rich biodiversity of the Annamite Mountains. Donate here.
Thank you for being part of this journey—we look forward to sharing more updates soon. Together, we can make a difference!
