Donate: Make a minimum donation of US$25 per person. Donate here.
RSVP: Each guest must complete an individual RSVP form, including any dietary or accessibility requirements.
Confirm your registration: After donating, reply to your donation email with “RGS EVENT” and list the names of any guests you are donating for. This allows us to verify your registration.
Questions: Contact info@saolafoundation.org.
A Special Thank You to Givskud Zoo and Odense Zoo
Sometimes, the difference between staying in the field and having to stop comes down to whether support arrives in time.
This June, Givskud Zoo and Odense Zoo stepped forward with vital support that kept our team in the Annamite Mountains during a critical period for the Saola search. We are incredibly grateful and we want to share what their support made possible.
The team travels along stream valleys where possible, as waterways provide easier passage through the rugged Annamite Mountains. Image credit: Maikham Sengmanath
The Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team were able to continue the intensive search across approximately 11.2 square miles (29 km²) of priority habitat, systematically searching for Saola and other wildlife, collecting dung samples for DNA analysis, monitoring threats, and recording wildlife observations.
The team collected 191 potential Saola dung samples, while 85 samples from previous months were also tested. So far, none have tested positive for Saola DNA. While this is not the result we hope for, every search helps us refine our approach and build our understanding of this extraordinary landscape.
Our scent detection dog Norman worked in the forest during this mission, completing eight days of searching and alerting the team to 31 dung locations, including muntjac, serow, wild pig, and unidentified dung.
The team conducts DNA testing in the forest and uses Android data collection devices to keep track of data during the Saola search, with images of a female white-cheeked gibbon and Brown Hornbill spotted along the way. Image credit: Phonesouk Chanthalavong (top two images) and Saphanthong Keobounkham (bottom two images)
Image credit: Phonesouk Chanthalavong
And the work revealed much more
We recorded the first Wreathed Hornbills in our survey area, bringing the total number of hornbill species recorded there to four, also detecting, from their calls, two elusive and highly Threatened bird species, Crested Argus and Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo. The team continue monitoring threats, which have remained relatively low throughout the year.
Protecting more than the Saola
Although the Saola is our flagship species, our mission is to protect the biodiversity of the entire Annamite Mountains Bioregion. Every month of fieldwork contributes to that bigger picture, helping us understand wildlife status, identify threats, map important habitats, building the knowledge needed to protect this extraordinary ecosystem.
That is why timely support matters. When you help keep our teams in the field, you are supporting not only the search for Saola, but the conservation of one of Southeast Asia’s most remarkable and threatened landscapes.
The rugged terrain of the Annamite Mountains can be steep, slippery and challenging to navigate. Image credit: Fue Yang
Help keep the search going
Givskud Zoo and Odense Zoo helped keep our team in the forest when funding pressures would have forced the work to stop. We now need to secure the funding to remobilize our field team for the final quarter of 2026.
If you can make a contribution to support the wildlife of the Annamites, please consider making a donation today.
Your support will help us return to the field, continue the Saola search, monitor threats and other wildlife, and help protect the extraordinary biodiversity of the Annamite Mountains Bioregion.
If you’re interested in discussing what it takes to support another full month of adventure and discovery in the Annamites, please get in touch with our team at info@saolafoundation.org!
Image credit: Maikham Sengmanath
Run for Saola with Zoo Ostrava
Today, runners in the Czech Republic are taking on the Zoo Ostrava charity race and running for the Saola!
We are incredibly grateful to Zoo Ostrava for choosing the Saola Foundation as the beneficiary of this year’s race. Every entry fee will help support our conservation work in the Annamite Bioregion of Lao.
The Saola may be one of the world’s most elusive mammals, but today it has hundreds of people running in its name!
Thank you, Zoo Ostrava, to everyone taking part, and to everyone supporting the race. Your energy and generosity are helping protect the Saola and the extraordinary wildlife of the wider Annamite Mountains Bioregion.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, share our message, and spread awareness about the incredible Saola and Annamite Mountains Bioregion. Your voice matters.
We are searching for one of the rarest land mammals in the world – the Saola – in the forests of the Annamite Mountains of Lao.
This year will determine the fate of our beloved and magical Saola and on this World Saola Day, we urgently need your help to keep alive the hope of finding Saolas soon.
The window of opportunity for saving the Saola is closing. While our team remains dedicated to the search, we are running short of the vital funds needed to maintain our field efforts during this critical year. If you are able to contribute, your donation will go directly toward our search operations. You can donate via our website here.
This World Saola Day we want to recognise the Saola, the emblem for the incredibly rich, but fragile biodiversity and ecosystems of the Annamite Bioregion. The Saola has drawn global attention to this overlooked region and to other Critically Endangered wildlife that share this home.
Saola conservation has empowered local communities by providing meaningful careers and livelihoods. This includes the employment of our dedicated Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team members. These fearless, talented individuals spend day after day and month after month away from their loved ones, working in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Their resolve and determination gives us all hope.
We would like to say thank you, to the Government of Lao PDR, for support, encouragement and guidance in all we do. Thank you, to our incredible partners, who have brought cutting edge science, tools and methodologies, and the understanding and enlightenment to integrate these with indigenous skills and expertise. And thank you, to you, our generous supporters who have shown such faith in our mission and given us the strength and encouragement to achieve so much.
Every interaction with our content, every like, share, and comment, helps to boost our global visibility and spread our message. Together, we have taken the story of the Saola and the Annamite Bioregion to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Together, we have directly boosted the livelihoods of 38 Lao nationals (and indirectly many more), building careers in specialized areas and creating future conservation leaders for Lao’s incredibly rich biodiversity.
Our efforts cannot fail to achieve meaningful, positive outcomes – propelled by the movement we have started for the Annamite Bioregion. We can’t wait to share more updates of our exciting programs planned for the years ahead.
Enter Our Saola Plushie Raffle and More!
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, Hue municipality, located in the shadow of the Vietnamese Annamite Mountains. 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: Donate Now • 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 12th July at 00:00 BST. • Winner Notification: The winner will be contacted via email on Monday 13th July.
Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. If we don’t hear back from you, we will draw the raffle again.
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 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! If you are based in the UK or the EU, you can order the Lao Saola Coffee Blend online.
Seminar Catch Up
Did you miss our recent seminar on From Scents to Signs: Detection Dogs and Animal Tracking for Biodiversity Conservation? You can now watch it on YouTube!
Catch up on our past seminars on our YouTube Channel where 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.
Latest News on the Search for Saola and Saving Irreplaceable Biodiversity
Since the start of the year, the team has been hard at work in the continuing search for Saolas, knowing, as we all know, that time is ticking by fast in the race to save them.Our search is intensive and meticulous, and although it might not sound like a lot, in the first three months alone, the team covered approximately 10.5 square miles (27 km²), which amounts to well over 155 miles (250 km) of walking, carefully looking (and in the case of our dogs, smelling) for signs of Saolas. At the same time, they found, collected, and analyzed 478 dung samples, unfortunately none of which turned out to be from Saolas. The first six months of the year are the most productive for finding dung, which is our best opportunity for confirming the presence of Saolas; hence, the large number of samples. This is due to the lower prevalence of dung beetles and other factors, such as rain and fungi, that remove and break down dung. Because of this, the search continues at full pace before the heavy rains start in July. The rains, despite reducing the amount of dung detectable, make it easier for our animal trackers to trail fresh footprint tracks that could be those of a Saola and hopefully lead to dung or other DNA sources for testing.
Vanvay, Provincial Field Coordinator of the Saola Foundation, explaining about Saola and the conservation work of the Saola Foundation at a village community meeting
We have also been running an intensive recruitment campaign, visiting many remote villages in the Annamite Mountains to recruit new animal trackers and technical members for our Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team. The recruitment is not just about building our team but also about giving talented, passionate members of these local and indigenous communities opportunities to pursue a professional biodiversity conservation career and an opportunity to actively participate in and champion the conservation of their traditional forest lands.
Vanvay, Provincial Field Coordinator; Souksamlan (Toun), Audio-Visual Lead; and Chanthasone (Olay), Lao Programs Director, traveled by boat, tractor, motorbike, and at times on foot to engage with 15 villages to introduce career opportunities and build awareness of our strategy and goals. The recruitment was a great success, and following the initial stages, 6 promising candidates have been undergoing rigorous forest screening with the field team.
World Saola Day Is Approaching
World Saola Day (9th July) is an annual opportunity to raise global awareness of Saola and generate critical support for our search efforts that will determine its future. Time is running out for us to find evidence of a Saola in the wild. To critically help sustain our team in the field, we need help and have launched an urgent fundraising appeal across our global network. You can help us, by sharing our newsletter and social media posts within your own networks, and, if you are in a position to do so, donate.
Together, we can give this extraordinary species a chance. Thank you!
SEMINAR From Scents to Signs: Detection Dogs and Animal Tracking for Biodiversity Conservation
Join us on Thursday 2nd July as Renae Counter, Canine Field Specialist at Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C), and Jonathan Shapiro, Professional and Specialist Tracker and Instructor from CyberTracker Conservation and Fox Paw School, discuss their approaches to biodiversity conservation through detection dogs and animal tracking in their partnership with the Saola Foundation. In this seminar, you will gain an overview of how detection dogs are trained and deployed to support species monitoring and conservation research, as well as the importance of sustained partnerships, follow-up support, and capacity building in developing successful conservation dog programs. You will also hear from Vatsana Chanthavong and To Duangkhamxai, co-Team Leaders of the Saola Foundation’s Scent Detection Dog Unit, who will provide a special update on how our Scent Detection Dogs, Bertie and Norman, are performing in the field. The seminar will also explore the role of animal tracking in conservation, demonstrating how tracking skills can be used to detect animal presence, monitor ecosystems, and inform conservation decision-making.
The talk is free, but registration is required, which you can do here. Local times for the talk are listed below.
Meet the Speakers
Renae Counter
Renae graduated from the University of Montana-Western with a B.A. in Literature and Writing with a focus on Creative Writing. Her career with working dogs began when she moved to Alaska to work as a dog handler on the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. Renae spent three summers on the Mendenhall, with winters in between caretaking a remote backcountry ski lodge in Colorado and later helping to train a team of young sled dogs for Squid Acres Kennel in Fairbanks, AK. After working with sled dogs, Renae knew she wanted a career with dogs. Before finding WD4C, she spent time working as a Veterinary Assistant and later training protection dogs.
Vatsana Chanthavong (left) and To Duangkhamxai (right) Saola Foundation Scent Detection Dog Unit Administrative Leader and Scent Detection Dog Unit Technical Leader
Jonathan Shapiro
Jonathan is a nature educator, tracking instructor, and wildlife consultant. His students are field biologists, conservation professionals, and passionate laypeople. He runs the Fox Paw School and the Southwest Wildlife Tracking Institute, and teaches natural history at Sterling College. He has been certified as a Specialist in Track & Sign, and a Professional in Trailing, by Tracker Certification North America. His other interests include hunting, fishing, running, reading books, and making crafts.
Seminar local times on Thursday 2nd July: 07:00 am US Pacific 08:00 am US Mountain 09:00 am US Central 10:00 am US Eastern 15:00 London 16:00 most of continental Europe 21:00 Vientiane/Hanoi/Bangkok 22:00: Singapore/Beijing/Hong Kong/Taipei
A recent spotlight by the History Channel on the Kha-nyou, a largely unknown endemic species of the Annamite Mountains Bioregion, brought much needed global interest to this unusual species and to the irreplaceable ecosystem it inhabits. However, we are compelled to raise a significant rebuttal to the History Channel’s unfortunate use of the name ‘Laotian Rock Rat’, a modern-day case of mistaken identity for this fantastic creature. The Kha-nyou, an ancient representative of the Order Rodentia, is many things, but it is NOT a rat!
I first came across the Kha-nyou on the 4th of February, 1996, during a morning visit to a fresh food market in central Lao PDR, where I’d gone especially to see what wild animals local inhabitants were hunting and selling. Within a matter of moments, and after a quick examination of the two Kha-nyou carcasses on the ground in front of me, I knew I was looking at an undescribed species to science. What I didn’t realise, however, was just how extraordinary, from a scientific perspective, the discovery of the Kha-nyou was. But standing in the morning market in early February, I at first wondered whether this creature could be allied to squirrel taxa in East Asia or the Sundas with which I was unfamiliar.
Rob Timmins exploring a marketplace in Lao
The Kha-nyou is about 26 cm in head and body length – a size very similar to an Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, for those familiar – with short limbs, a densely-haired tail only about half the length of its head and body combined, and a long head with extremely long whiskers. It is various shades of gray in colour, with a ‘mane’ of dark hair from its nape along the dorsum of its neck. The Kha-nyou lives in the limestone karst landscapes of central Lao and Vietnam, is nocturnal and forages over rock and ground, but apparently does not climb vegetation, and rests, and presumably ‘nests’, in holes and crevices within the limestone. Captive animals are generally docile and placid.
To state my challenge to the History Channel’s piece head-on, the Kha-nyou is not a ‘rat’, and doesn’t have anything in common with the ‘rat family’ other than being, like a squirrel, porcupine, or chinchilla, a member of the Order Rodentia. I was horrified to have this name attributed to me.
You can’t really appreciate the ‘enigma’ in this species’ scientific name, Laonastes aenigmamus, without taking a deep dive into the taxonomic lineage. With an ancestral position within the Order Rodentia, the Kha-nyou’s closest living relatives are thought to be the African gundis of the Family Ctenodactylidae, which together are ancestral ‘basal’ members of the Suborder Hystricomorpha. This Suborder includes the likes of porcupines, chinchillas, and capybaras amongst others. Importantly, the rats, mice, and squirrels are in completely different suborders. The Kha-nyou is now recognised as likely the sole living representative of the Family Diatomyidae, otherwise only known from fossils from Eastern Europe, South, Southeast, and East Asia, spanning the last c. 11–33 million years. The Kha-nyou is remarkably similar to the fossil species Diatomys shantungensis, known from the mid Miocene (ca. 11 million years ago) of China, and the two are likely to be very closely related; however, they are still considered different species in different genera. The ca. 11 million-year gap in the fossil record from the Miocene to the present, along with the discovery of fossils prior to a living animal, has earned the Kha-nyou the designation of a Lazarus taxon. Intriguingly, genetic studies suggest Kha-nyous might actually represent several different morphologically near-identical species, some of which potentially diverged on their separate evolutionary paths millions of years ago!
The Kha-nyou shares a remarkable trait with a number of other endemic and near-endemic species of the Annamite Mountains Bioregion, as a living, little changed for more than 10 million years, descendant of the presumed former Annamites Miocene fauna. Evolution, contrary to common belief, has no direction or goal; rather, it is a mechanism for organisms to, hopefully, self-perpetuate and remain extant. Like other species in the Annamites Bioregion, e.g. the Annamite Striped Rabbit, Saola, and Owston’s Civet, the Kha-nyou likely has not changed much over the last 10+ million years, most likely because of environmental stability in the Annamite Bioregion over the same time period. As the saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ – in other words, why would change happen if there is no pressure to adapt?
Of course, humans have likely known of the existence of Kha-nyous for 70,000 years or more, and before that our human ancestors may have known them for a million years. Limited evidence suggests that, from a population perspective and relatively speaking, the Kha-nyou is not facing a high risk of extinction, and for this reason is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This prognosis is largely a consequence of the habitat they call home, jagged rocky limestone karst landscapes that do not have many alternative uses from a human perspective and are also difficult for human hunters to penetrate. Kha-nyou habitat is relatively impervious to drastic large-scale change; small areas are utilised for cement production and other forms of mining, but these represent a very small proportion of the total. Nevertheless, Kha-nyous have likely been exploited as a food source for a very long time, and that continues to this day. Kha-nyous are typically caught using traditional wooden and / or bamboo traps. As a relatively small nocturnal animal with no known value beyond its meat value, still large areas of limestone karst remaining, and no clear evidence of strongly declining populations, it is hopefully a species we do not need to worry too much about in the near term (but of course we’ll be keeping an eye on them).
In summary, History Channel, we commend you for bringing much needed attention to this overlooked region, a living museum of the former Miocene and earlier biodiversity, and in need of urgent action to prevent further unrecoverable loss of biodiversity. We respectfully challenge the use of the name ‘Laotian Rock Rat’ and advocate instead for the local name, ‘Kha-nyou’, which has served this enigmatic creature perfectly for perhaps thousands of years. And, if I and the Saola Foundation have anything to do with it, this name will do just fine for many, many more years to come.
A drawing of a Kha-nyou by Rob Timmins
Application form for the Lao Youth on Mission for Nature Conservation, 3rd Cohort, 2026 Must be Lao-based
The Saola Foundation is pleased to endorse Econox and Association Anoulak in their efforts to build conservation capacity in Lao, a goal that the Saola Foundation shares. Strengthening national conservation capacity is one of our four foundational long-term strategic goals. Econox and Association Anoulak are currently recruiting for the position outlined below.
Are you passionate about nature, wildlife, biodiversity, and protecting the environment? Do you dream of building a career in conservation and making a real impact in Lao?
Join Lao Youth on a Mission for Nature Conservation (LYoM) 2026 – Batch 03, a unique opportunity for young people across Lao to gain practical knowledge, connect with conservation experts, and explore career pathways in the conservation sector.
What you will gain: Conservation and environmental training Networking with experts and like-minded youth Hands-on learning experiences Opportunity to be selected for an internship placement with partner organizations (2 weeks to 3 months)
Who can apply? Lao nationals from any province Aged 18 – 35 years old Passionate about nature conservation Committed to attending the full training program Apply here: https://forms.gle/RK4uUHHsvX6sFeNi8
Application Deadline: 30 June 2026 Interviews: First week of July 2026 Results Announcement: 2 – 3 days after interviews Training Program: 3 – 9 August 2026 Internship Opportunities: August – December 2026
The future of conservation in Lao needs passionate young leaders. Apply now and take your first step toward becoming a conservation leader!
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.
This video invites you to pause, listen, and witness this living world as it is – vibrant, layered, and deeply alive. We share only a brief glimpse into the natural wonders of the Annamite Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot and home to some of the most extraordinary wildlife on Earth, supporting countless species, yet increasingly at risk.
We recommend turning your sound on!
The climate in the stunning Annamite Mountains is now transitioning from the cooler, drier season into the hotter and wetter months. Deep within these remarkable forests, our dedicated Annamite Mountains Research and Conservation Team continues its work on our flagship programme: the Search for Saola.
We are delighted to share our 2025 Annual Report with you which is filled with updates, achievements, and insights into the impact your support has made possible over the past year. Now in the second full year of the Saola Search, the team, led by our Field Team Leader, Phonesouk (“Hamnoy”) Chanthalavong, alongside our scent detection dogs, Bertie and Norman, continues to make extraordinary progress under incredibly challenging conditions. To date, hundreds of samples have been analyzed for Saola DNA. While we have not yet confirmed a positive result, the evidence gathered by the field team strongly suggests that a small number of Saola may still survive in these forests. Along the way, the team has also recorded many other rare and remarkable species, reinforcing the global importance of the Annamite Mountains Bioregion and giving us continued hope for the future.
Fieldwork in the Annamites remains one of the greatest conservation challenges of our time. In an “ever wet” tropical climate, with temperatures averaging 93°F (34°C), our Lao conservation scientists travel long distances each day across steep mountains, dense vegetation, and fast-flowing rivers while carrying essential equipment and supplies. Their resilience, expertise, and determination are truly inspiring. Despite the challenges, we remain optimistic. Every expedition expands our understanding of this extraordinary landscape and strengthens our belief that the Saola can still be found.
Together with our partners and supporters around the world, we are continuing this vital work while helping to build a stronger future for the forests and wildlife of the Annamite Mountains Bioregion. If you would like to support the program this year, your contribution will directly help sustain our Lao field teams and their critical conservation work. Thank you, as always, for being part of this journey with us. ຂອບໃຈ
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.
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.
