Saola Tracks, September 5, 2023: Welcome to a new Saola Gold Circle member!We are delighted to introduce and welcome Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong (OPCFHK) as the newest member of…
We are delighted to introduce and welcome Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong (OPCFHK) as the newest member of our esteemed Saola Gold Circle. The Saola Gold Circle honors supporters who donate at least $50,000 within one year to the Saola Foundation’s conservation efforts. Ocean Park’s mission is to advocate for and contribute to effective conservation of wildlife in Asia, and their membership in the Saola Gold Circle is a testament to their rock-solid commitment to this mission. We are so very grateful that they have now extended their support to Saola, with a recent grant of US$50,150 (HK$ 393,500). To delve deeper into OPCFHK’s remarkable work, explore their websitehere.
Membership in the Saola Gold Circle brings some exclusive benefits, such as special progress updates, the option for a field visit with the project team in Lao PDR, and a chance to name some of the tracked Saolas. To learn more, please seehere.
Earlier this year, Ms. Vatsana Chanthavong, Leader of the Saola Foundation’s Detection Dog Team, visited the US for intensive dog handling training with our partners Working Dogs for Conservation and Chiron K9. Back home in Lao PDR, she has been extending this training to her Lao team of detection dog handlers.
Vatsana training the dog handling team at Vientiane Dog Paradise in Lao PDR.
Bertie and Norman with eye protection goggles! Photo: Paul Bunker
In addition, our detection dogs have some snazzy new equipment to protect their eyes when they are working in the dense forests of the Annamites.
Stay tuned for an upcoming Q+A with Aimee Hurt from Working Dogs for Conservation and Paul Bunker from Chiron K9 as they recount their experiences in Lao PDR, and how their dogs will help us find Saola.
July saw the Saola Foundation field team searching for evidence of a new (i.e., undescribed by science) species of leaf monkey in the genus Trachypithecus, which we believe (based on previous sightings by our Technical Director, Rob Timmins) inhabits an area of limestone karst close to our Saola search area. The aim of the expedition was to photograph the animal, as a first step in documenting it scientifically. This work aligns with the Saola Foundation’s mission to ensure that our team and our work benefits wildlife of the Annamite Mountains beyond Saola. The expedition was funded by a grant from Wroclaw Zoo Foundation DODOand implemented in partnership with the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, National University of Laos.
Alas, the team met with some considerable logistical obstacles – torrential rains, floods, and landslides. Both the wet and windy conditions combined to create a foggy effect, which subsequently reduced the likelihood of successful detection. These trials anticipate the forthcoming search for Saola in the Annamite Mountains, an environment reserved for the resolute. The experience honed the team’s skills and fortified their dedication and commitment to find and save Saola. In the upcoming year, when the field conditions improve in this area, they will be back on the trail of this mysterious primate…
The expedition team, stalled, examines a flooded stream cutting
the road due to the continuous heavy rain.
Happy World Saola Day! Today, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those who have been part of our incredible journey so far. Since World Saola Day last year, we’ve been hard at work assembling our dedicated Saola Search Team. And now, we’re thrilled to announce that we have a fully operational team in Laos, comprised mainly of local villagers from the Saola’s range. They form our multidisciplinary field conservation team of wildlife trackers, detection dog handlers, logistics support staff, and field technicians. Together, we are poised to embark on an intensive two-year search for the elusive Saola. Today, as we celebrate how far we’ve come, we have a special treat for you.
We’ve captured a fascinating discussion of the remarkable story of Saola and the history of its conservation. We are honored to have the world-renowned biologist, conservationist, and author, Dr. George Schaller, as our featured guest. George, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, has dedicated an astonishing 70 years to studying wildlife in the field – and for most of the span, little-known large mammals, including Saola.
Dr. George Schaller with a snow leopard cub.
(Photo by D. DeMello, Wildlife Conservation Society)
We are also honored to have Bill deBuys with us, acclaimed writer, and author of the book about Saola conservation “The Last Unicorn”. Bill is an accomplished environmental historian, nature writer, essayist, and conservationist. Also joining the discussion is Bill Robichaud, co-founder of the Saola Foundation. Bill’s tireless efforts and unwavering dedication have been instrumental in driving forward the mission to protect the Saola. To listen to their fascinating discussion, click on the following link below:
Bill deBuys (second from left) and Bill Robichaud (right) with villagers in the Saola’s range in Laos.
We invite you to be a part of this extraordinary endeavour to find and save Saola. Your generous gift on the occasion of World Saola Day will bring us closer to our goal of conducting uninterrupted searches for Saola in the Annamite Mountains over the next two years. There are various ways you can contribute.
Click the donate button here or below and donate to fund the field costs of our search for Saola in Lao
Consider sponsoring one of our highly intelligent sign detection dogs, Bertie and Norman.
Your donation, no matter the amount, can make a significant difference. Reach out to us at info@saolafoundation.org if you’d like to learn more.
We also offer “The Last Unicorn” through our online bookshop. Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall described it as a “must-read”. By purchasing this book, you’ll enjoy a captivating read AND contribute to our cause.
For the latest updates on our progress, we invite you to follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. There, you’ll find additional information about our ongoing efforts.
Thank you once again for joining us in celebrating World Saola Day. Together, we can make a difference in the conservation of Saola and the Annamite Mountains.
Saola Tracks, June 2023: Board Update and Exciting New Members of the Team!We are excited to share updates of the Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains Conservation, in particular the addition of many new members…
We are excited to share updates of the Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains Conservation, in particular the addition of many new members to our team.
Board Update
With the end of his term, David Hulse has stepped down from our Board of Directors. David has been an incredibly valuable and committed member of the Board, and we are grateful for the support and contributions David has brought to the Saola Foundation.
We are delighted to announce a new Board member to succeed David, Mr. Inthy Deaunsawanh. Inthy was born in northern Laos (where as child he lived with his family in a cave, to avoid American bombing), and now lives in Vientiane. He is the founder and owner of Laos’s first and largest ecotourism company, Green Discovery.
Inthy is well known and respected in Laos and beyond as a visionary business leader, dedicated to conservation and sustainability. He is a member of the Board of the Asian Ecotourism Network, and his profile on AEN’s website reads: “This remarkable man, who was born in a cave and went on to study at Moscow University, has completed the Iron Man challenge and continually strives for excellence in everything he does. His businesses now support more the 2,000 families, whilst embracing an ethos of strong social, cultural and environmental responsibility.” We are most fortunate to able to add Inthy’s talent, experience and passion to the Saola conservation mission. Welcome, Inthy!
Introducing Some of Our New Lao Team Members
Since late last year, Olay Phommachanh (Lao Programs Director), Xai Khiewvongphachan (Field Coordinator) and Rob Timmins (Technical Director) of the Saola Foundation, along with Aimee Hurt and Paul Bunker of Working Dogs for Conservation and Lee Gutteridge of CyberTracker have been busy assessing local candidates in the Annamite Mountains of Lao PDR to select the best members for the Saola Field Team, also nicknamed the ‘Saola Super Team’. In addition to the new members of the Saola Field Team, we have also expanded our support team and we are proud to introduce some of these new Lao team members.
We are on the brink of starting our two-year intensive search and with our new, highly qualified and talented members, we have created the best team possible for the Saola search. We will introduce more members of the team in an upcoming newsletter.
Lastly, we are extremely grateful to all of our donors and supporters, and in particular the following for their significant donations since the start of this year:
Mandai Nature ($50,000)
Synchronicity Earth ($40,000)
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund ($25,385)
Scentbird Inc. ($13,947)
Taronga Zoo Sydney ($10,039)
Kristine Karnos ($10,000)
David Karnos ($10,000)
Ramona Mays ($10,000)
Wildlife Conservation Society ($10,000)
The McConnell Foundation ($9,800)
Zoo Zlin ($6,520)
Givskud Zoo Zootopia ($4,970)
Sum of Us ($3,000)
Plzen Zoo ($2,167)
Ryan McMullen ($2,000)
Burton Smith Productions ($1,800)
Steve Burns ($1,500)
Alice Puleo ($1,000)
David Posner ($750)
Hardy Pleske ($747)
Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains Conservation 2022 Annual ReportWe are delighted to share with you a summary of our excellent progress this past year…
Two weeks from today!: “How wildlife trackers will bring the world’s oldest science to the cutting-edge effort to find and save Saola”.We’re excited to offer the next in our live, online seminars, on March 25…
Wildlife tracking, the art of identifying animal tracks and signs and following their trails to find them, has been called the oldest science. Cultures throughout history have practiced wildlife tracking for food and safety. Only the best trackers came home consistently and safely with food for their people – evidence of their skill. Only those who spent regular time practicing became skilled trackers.
Since the early 1990s CyberTracker Conservation has been the international gold-standard for certifying the skill of wildlife trackers. Beginning in 2020, CyberTracker began collaborating with the Saola Foundation, and is now one of our key technical partners in the Saola search.
Please join us on Saturday, March 25, for the next in our live online seminars, this time with Lee Gutteridge and Dr. Kersey Lawrence of CyberTracker Conservation, to learn how this ‘oldest ‘science’ will help us find and save Saola. Their talk is free, but registration is required, which you can do here. Local times for their talk are listed below.
Last November Lee traveled to Laos and the Annamites to begin the search and to help identify already skilled local trackers, and to start training additional trackers for the Saola Foundation’s field team. Lee and Kersey will discuss tracking applications and the history of CyberTracker, and Lee will describe the extreme beauty and the even more extreme challenges around recovering an animal that truly is “The Last Unicorn.” This Saola work aligns with the spirit of CyberTracker Conservation’s co-founder, Louis Liebenberg, and his goals to find, certify, and empower local trackers, and to help to develop a worldwide environmental monitoring network.
Lee and Lao tracker candidates with a plaster cast made from a possible Saola track they found in the Annamite Mountains (November 2022).
Lee Gutteridge is the author of nine natural history publications. One of the highest qualified nature guides in the world, Lee owns a guide training school, Nature Guide Training, in South Africa, where he has been guiding, tracking, and training guides and trackers for more than thirty years.
Dr. Kersey Lawrence received her PhD in Natural Resources & the Environment from the University of Connecticut in 2020. For her dissertation, she studied trackers, tracking, and the CyberTracker system for certifying trackers across the world. She owns an international education-abroad company, Original Wisdom, which enriches students of all ages by introducing them to nature, science, and field skills through “the ecology of tracking and the culture of trackers.”
Both Lee and Kersey are Senior Trackers in the CyberTracker system, the highest certification, and evaluate trackers on the same system. They travel the world to track animals, and to train and certify trackers. When not working or traveling, they share a home in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Hope to see you on the 25th for their fascinating talk!
-The Saola Foundation Team
Local times, Saturday, March 25:
08:00 am US Pacific DST
09:00 am US Mountain DST
10:00 am US Central DST
11:00 am US Eastern DST
15:00 London
16:00 most of continental Europe
17:00 Cape Town
22:00 Vientiane/Hanoi/Bangkok
We are delighted to announce our next series of winter/spring seminar talks, offered free and presented live on Zoom. For this next series, we bring you stories of the fascinating work of some of our technical partners.
First up, on Saturday, February 25, 2023 will be: “From Mount Everest to the Annamite Mountains: Applying molecular tools for wildlife conservation”, presented by Dr. Tracie Seimon, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, at the Bronx Zoo in New York.
Her talk is free, but registration is required, which you can do here.
Local times for the talk are listed below.
Dr. Seimon directs for WCS the development and implementation of molecular diagnostic technologies to search for wildlife and endangered species using environmental DNA (eDNA). These tools help identify species in the wildlife trade, diagnose infectious diseases in wildlife, and detect rare species in the wild –such as Saola. She was instrumental in guiding development for the Saola Foundation of the first-ever Saola-specific rapid DNA test kit – a technical cornerstone of our search for Saola.
Dr. Seimon received her PhD in experimental pathology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 2003, and served as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow variously between Columbia University and WCS from 2003-2012.
Her work and teaching has covered Cambodia, the Russian Far East, Uganda, Rwanda, Peru, Myanmar, Vietnam and now, more recently, Lao PDR with the Saola Foundation!
Please join us for this fascinating talk on her genetics ‘detective work’ for wildlife.
Then on March 25, we’ll hear how the ancient skill of wildlife tracking can be used to help save endangered wildlife in the 21st century. Our guides will be two Senior Trackers and Evaluators from our partner CyberTracker – Lee Gutteridge and Dr. Kersey Lawrence. Details to follow.
In the meantime, hope to see on February 25!
-The Saola Foundation Team
Local times for “From Mount Everest to the Annamite Mountains: Applying molecular tools for wildlife conservation”:
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
22:00 Vientiane/Hanoi/Bangkok
A fig tree in fruit – nothing is more evocative of a Christmas tree in the tropical forests of the Saola’s range, for the abundant gifts of food it provides to many animals.
The Saola Foundation is also a bit like a forest fig, through our mission to help a diversity of wildlife in the Annamite Mountains. We are deeply grateful for your partnership, faith and support that makes our work possible.
And remember, there is still time to help Saola and get something nice for yourself or a loved one from one of our fantastic partner merchants:
The art for our holiday card was created and donated by Eric Losh, a graphic designer and passionate conservationist. Eric makes art for some of the world’s top conservation organizations. www.elosh.com
Time to think about holiday gifts? Look no further! Get something nice for you and your loved ones, and save a Saola this Christmas!
Thanks to some creative and dynamic partners, we are delighted to point you to some wonderful Saola-themed gifts – with a significant portion of all sales going to support the critical work of the Saola Foundation!
First, there is the wonderful “Saola Asian Unicorn” fragrance, available from the fantastic company, Sanctuary,here. “Created for those who care about the fate of our planet, Sanctuary offers fragrances for a better future.” Sanctuary’s “Saola Asia Unicorn” perfume is playful and whimsical with a hint of juicy pineapple, balanced with notes of lush greenery and Southeast Asian jasmine. And 20% of every sale will go to the Saola Foundation.
All Sanctuary fragrances are produced with 100% transparency in their ingredients and processes, and are created using a clean formulation.
Next up is Askari Wild and their wide selection of Saola Foundation-themed clothing and accessories (wear proudly!), availablehere. The ‘parent’ of Askari Wild is the Askari Project, an initiative that focuses on conservation of elephants in Africa. The Askari Project subsequently launched the online store, Askari Wild, to support the conservation of other endangered wildlife, including now the Saola. In addition, Askari Wild uses a cutting-edge production and distribution system that minimizes fossil fuel consumption, and allows quick worldwide shipping at low cost for both customers and the environment. Note: Prices shown on Askari Wild’s online store are in Australian dollars, and so much less after conversion to US$. Order away!
Another wonderful company is Selatan Giftware. Inspired by Selatan, an extraordinary Sumatran tiger once under the care of the company’s founder, Selatan the business is committed to providing financial support to conservation of Sumatran tigers in the wild. We are delighted to announce that Selatan has recently added a collection of items to support Saola conservation,which you can find here. More than half the proceeds of each sale will go to support the Saola Foundation. Products include a Saola brooch made with FSC Certified Bamboo Plywood.
We are most grateful to our ally Glenn Sullivan, of Taronga Zoo in Australia, for connecting us with both Askari and Selatan.
Finally, if you are in Laos, or your next time there, please visit our friends at Comma Coffee and pick up a bag or two of their exclusive “Saola Blend” coffee beans! Comma Coffee is an independent coffee roaster in Laos, with two cafés (one each in Vientiane and the former royal capital of Luang Prabang). Comma uses beans sourced from small farmers in the best coffee growing regions of Laos. The company also takes pride in ensuring that their staff earn a living wage, and learn new skills.
Their special “Saola Blend” is a medium roast with nutty, chocolate notes – and a portion of all sales go to help the Saola Foundation. Get a caffeine buzz, and save Saola!
This holiday season, please support these fantastic companies – and help keep Saola on our beautiful planet a little while longer.
This month, the entire senior team of the Saola Foundation rendezvoused in Lao: Technical Director Rob Timmins, CEO Lorraine Scotson, President Bill Robichaud, and Lao Programs Director Chanthasone Phommachanh (“Olay”). For most of us, it was our first trip back since the pandemic unfolded, and we have signficant progress to report:
Recruitment of national team members for the intensive Saola search team
Over the past several months, Olay and his team (especially Field Coordinator Xaisavanh Khiewvongphachan, or simply “Xai”,) rolled out a creative and comprehensive recruitment campaign, to find the best possible Lao candidates for the Saola search team. This includes positions for detection dog handlers, wildlife trackers, and logistical support staff.
Their recruitment effort reached widely in Lao, including villages in the Saola’s range, through meetings in villages, distribution of job advert pamphlets, and ads on radio, TV and the internet.
The campaign was a smash success, finding nearly 40 highly promising and enthusiastic candidates, from a diversity of ethnic groups, backgrounds and genders. From this candidate pool, we will select 15 finalists for the field team after a round of extensive ‘on the job’ interviews. We are also proud of our abiliity to bring paid employment to some of these remote villages – employment in wildlife conservation, where the villagers live.
We’re now very close to finalizing formation of the elite wildlife survey team, a team that, after their work for Saola, can contribute for years to come in the conservation of other wildlife in the Annamite Mountains.
Saola sign detection dogs
Our internationally renowned partnerWorking Dogs for Conservationsent two of its specialists, Aimee Hurt, a founder of Working Dogs, and Paul Bunker, the principal ofChiron K9, to join our team in Lao for a couple of weeks. Aimee and Paul went in the field in the Annamites to assess the conditions under which sign detection dogs will work. In addition, they spent several days putting the pool of national candidates for dog handler positions through some paces, to help select the final members of the detection dog team. This is fantastic progress – with many thanks to Aimee, Paul and the Executive Director of Working Dogs for Conservation, Pete Coppolillo.
Paul Bunker (left) and Technical Director Rob Timmins in a village in the Saola’s range.
Saola tracking team
Once we find a Saola, specialist members of the search team will immediately begin tracking the animal. Doing so will allow us to protect any Saola we find, rapidly learn more about the ways of Saola to help in finding the next animals, and begin to assess the best, safest way to eventually capture animals for the conservation breeding program.
Our partner CyberTracker is helping us develop this key component of the search. It’s a remarkable organization – CyberTracker has made animal tracking a discipline of focused study, and has developed an internationally recognized system for assessing, and training, animal tracking skills.
One of CyberTracker’s lead trainers and assessors, Lee Gutteridge, arrived in Lao in early November from South Africa. He went into the forest with our technical team and more than a dozen Lao applicants for Saola tracker positions. Lee and our team just completed three weeks of assessing, under field conditions, candidate aptitudes for learning tracking and for being effective members of a team. The finalists will be selected soon, and then their training can begin. A most exciting phase!
Lee Gutteridge (back row) with tracking team candidates.
Rapid field DNA testing capacity
We are thrilled to report that, after about a year of work, the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York has completed development of a Saola-specific, portable DNA test kit, to rapidly detect Saola in the forest. The WCS team, led by Dr. Tracie Seimon, to whom we are deeply indebted, reports that the kit is highly sensitive and specific, and can return a PCR test result for Saola on something like a dung sample in about an hour. The kit will also be pilot tested on other types of environmental samples to search for traces of Saola. This could be a revolutionary advance for Saola conservation. Rob and Bill have brought the kits with them to Lao – another key milestone on the path to finding and saving Saola.
A new member of our senior team
We are most pleased to welcome a new member of the Saola Foundation team, Mr. Bouaphanh Phanthavong. Bouaphanh recently retired from a long and distinguished career of leadership in the Lao Department of Forestry, where he focused on conservation issues (and in this capacity has worked closely with Rob and Bill over the past 30 years). Bouaphanh will assist us with Lao government liaison, and help us to smoothly navigate the Lao government permissions needed to implement the Saola search. He is a valuable, key addition for us. Welcome to the team, Bouaphanh!
And, a wedding!
We are delighted to announce that Olay was married on November 6! His wife is the lovely Khanmany (aka, “Nok”), who works in the field of immunology, developing genetic techniques to monitor wildlife disease. Lorraine, Bill, Rob and our Saola Foundation Research Associate, Minh Nguyen, were honored to be official members of the wedding party, over a week-long series of traditional events – official engagement ceremony, marriage ceremony, and wedding dinner/celebration.
Congratulations, Olay! And now that you’ve found a wonderful partner, onto finding some Saolas…
‘Team Saola’ assembles to escort Olay to the home of his bride’s family, for the wedding ceremony; Vientiane, 6 November 2022.
Olay & Nok, 6 November 2022
Finally, while in Lao, our senior team has been holding productive discussions and strategy sessions with the Lao government and our various conservation partners based in Lao. We are particularly grateful for the partnership and support we receive from the WCS Lao Program and its Country Director, Dr. Santi Sayphanya.
All the pieces are coming together now, in a deeply productive phase for development of the Saola search team in Lao. We are most grateful for your support that makes it possible. Please consider helping us maintain this excellent momentum by making a gift today (or a donation in honor of Olay & Nok!). You can do so through our website, by using the donate button below.
We are thrilled to share news of some significant developments in our mission to help find and save the Saola.
Introducing the Saola Gold Partnership, and a major new supporter
The staff and Board of Directors of the Saola Foundation have given great consideration to meaningful and impactful ways to attract the much-needed funds to find and save the Saola. To that end, we are delighted to introduce a new initiative, one that will recognize and give something back to our most generous donors:the Saola Gold Partnership. The Saola Gold Partnership is a group of supporters who each commit a minimum of 50,000 US$ or euros over one year to our Saola search program. Membership comes with some special benefits, which you can learn about here. Our goal is to recruit at least 20 members into the Saola Gold Partnership, to collaboratively generate $1 million for the Saola search effort.
As we roll out the Saola Gold Partnership, we are delighted to announce its first three members: Beauval Nature (https://www.beauvalnature.org/en/), Synchronicity Earth (https://www.synchronicityearth.org/), and the Saola Foundation’s newest major donor, the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation (LCAOF; https://www.lcaof.org/). Last week, LCAOF informed us of their decision to contribute $100,000 to the Saola search and our efforts to protect the Annamites. Thank you, LCAOF!! And welcome and deep thanks to the other two ‘first responders’ of the Saola Gold Partnership.
If you or your organization would like to discuss the Saola Gold Partnership and its opportunities, please contact Saola Foundation President Bill Robichaud at williamrobichaud@yahoo.com or +1 608-444-6483, or CEO Dr. Lorraine Scotson, at info@saolafoundation.org.
Dr. Frank Hawkins
Welcome to a new board member
We are honored and excited to announce that Dr. Frank Hawkins has joined the Saola Foundation’s Board of Directors, effective August 1. Dr. Hawkins is a distinguished conservation leader, with decades of experience working with governments, finance institutions, civil society and local communities around the world. He has served as Senior Vice-President of Conservation International, and led CI’s programme in Africa and Madagascar, during which time he launched the Gaborone Declaration for Sustainability. Until August 2021, Dr. Hawkins was Director of the IUCN North America office, and is now a policy and finance advisor to IUCN. He focuses on the use of natural capital data in investment decision-making, and on bringing the conservation and finance communities together to drive change in international conservation. He was instrumental in creating the Coalition for Private Investment in Conservation and in developing the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration biodiversity metric.
Dr. Hawkins is passionate about the Saola Foundation’s mission, and we and Saola are immensely fortunate to have his talents and experience added to our efforts. He replaces Phoutsakhone Ounchith on our board, who stepped down to focus on her new life and career in Australia. We are so very grateful for her contributions during her tenure, and she has promised to stay close!
Leading by example
Speaking of our board, we would like to express deep gratitude to the board for leading by example with their financial donations to the Saola Foundation. Thus far in 2022, the six members of the Saola Foundation’s board have collectively donated more than $25,000 of their personal funds to the Saola search (led by Board Chair Steve Burns, with a donation of $15,000), with additional donations from members of our Advisory Council. They have led with the kind of commitment that puts saving Saola within reach. We are deeply grateful to them – and hope you will follow their lead.
Introducing a new partner!
The Askari Project (https://www.theaskariproject.org/) is an initiative that focuses mainly on elephant conservation. However, they support the conservation of other species as well, by selling some fantastic, custom-designed merchandise, from which 100% of the sale profits go to that species. We are thrilled to announce that the Askari Project has partnered with the Saola Foundation, and has just launched an entire line of Saola and Saola Foundation merch! The Askari Project uses a cutting-edge distribution system that minimizes fossil fuel consumption, and so they can ship their products all over the world at low cost to both you and the environment. Check out the Saola items here!
Please consider ordering some things for you and/or your loved ones – including Saola. And again, from each sale, a lot of dollars, not just a few pennies or pence, will go to the Saola Foundation for the Saola search.
We are most grateful to Glenn Sullivan of Taronga Zoo in Australia for connecting us with the Askari Project (and to our friend Terry Hornsey for connecting us with Glenn!).
Next steps
Next month the entire senior team of the Saola Foundation – CEO Lorraine Scotson, President Bill Robichaud and Technical Director Rob Timmins – will rendezvous in Lao. This will be the first opportunity for any of them to travel to Lao since the pandemic unfolded. Exciting time! High on the agenda will be coordination meetings with our Lao government and NGO partners, and working with our Lao Programs Director, Olay, to finalize selection of the local village members of the Saola search team. Thanks to the faith and support of so many of you, we are very close to getting the integrated search team into the field. Our Saola Foundation crew will work vigorously on the final steps together in Lao – in addition to vigorously attending Olay’s wedding in Vientiane on November 6!
Watch in the coming weeks for the team’s updates from Lao.
Keep calm, do a bit of Askari shopping, and help find Saola. Thank you!!