Rare and endangered species discovered in Dak Lak's Ea So forest
The findings are considered as invaluable resources to outline more effective forest management and biodiversity conservation strategies.
THE HANOI TIMES — A recent biodiversity survey has discovered a trove of rare and endangered species at the Ea So Nature Reserve in the central province of Dak Lak, according to the site's director Le Minh Tien.
After more than two months of field surveys and camera trapping expeditions, researchers documented 789 species of vascular plants across 148 families and 494 genera, including one classified as critically endangered, nine endangered, and 11 near threatened.
Siamese Fireback (Lopura diardi), listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book, is recorded at the Ea So Nature Reserve. Photos: The Center for Nature Conservation and Development
In the findings announced on August 21, experts catalogued 179 bird species from 19 orders and 54 families, eight of which appear in Vietnam’s Red Book, and 30 mammal species were recorded, with 22 considered threatened nationally. Additionally, the team found 48 reptile and amphibian species from 12 families and two orders, with 22 carrying the Red Book status.
Vietnam's mouse-deer (Tragulus versicolor) is a critically endangered species.
Among the most noteworthy findings was the rediscovery of several rare mammal species at Ea So, including the Lesser Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga humilis), which had not been seen in the area for over two decades, and the Vietnam mouse-deer (Tragulus versicolor), a critically endangered species previously documented only in provinces of Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak.
The survey covers a comprehensive scope in evaluating biodiversity across the entire forest area under the reserve's management.
The Ea So Nature Reserve, covering an area of nearly 27,000 hectares, is in the process of being upgraded to a national park.
