A red wolf has been spotted in Vietnam for the first time in 20 years.

Zoologists have discovered a rare red wolf (dhola) in the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve in Nghe An Province in north-central Vietnam. This was the first confirmed sighting of this species in the wild in the country in the last 20 years. This was reported by Oryx magazine.

An adult dhol (Cuon alpinus) was captured by a camera trap on December 31, 2023. The animal was recorded at an altitude of 1,590 m in a humid evergreen forest a few kilometers from the border with Laos. To rule out an error and not confuse the predator with a domestic hunting dog, the researchers sent the images to four independent experts who confirmed the identification of the species.

Previous reliable evidence of Dhol's presence in the country dates back to 1999 (Pu Mat National Park) and 2003 (Yok Dong Park). Experts are still unable to unequivocally state whether we are talking about a micropopulation preserved in the reserve or a solitary nomadic animal that came from neighboring Laos.

The dhol is one of the most effective Asian predators, but it is currently endangered and listed in the IUCN Red List. Habitat degradation and the widespread use of poaching traps are considered to be the main reasons for the sharp decline in numbers. According to experts, Vietnam is at the epicenter of the commercial hunting crisis, which destroys both the predators themselves and their food supply.

Biologists emphasize that the natural recovery of the red wolf population in the region is unlikely without strengthening forest protection and anti-poaching. The disappearance of top predators, according to scientists, disrupts the balance of food chains, which in the long term leads to a significant depletion of the entire ecosystem of the Vietnamese jungle.

Tokto is better: Russian scientists will help revive extinct sea lions

How new genetic technologies will help preserve the diversity of wildlife on Earth

On March 15, Popular Science magazine reported the discovery of rare blue whales in the waters south of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. Marine biologists spotted the first Balaenoptera musculus whale on February 27, and for the second time two mammals were spotted 24 km south of Martha's Vineyard.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.