More and more endangered, precious, and rare wild species, such as the greater hog badger and white pheasant, have been spotted at Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam, signaling the recovery of biological diversity in the area, the park’s leader said.  

A staff member from the park was recently lucky enough to sight a great hog badger, Nguyen Vu Linh, director of the park, said on Wednesday.

The animal appeared to be hunting for food, Linh said, adding that it was moving at a leisurely pace and even approached the staff member.

The staff filmed the endangered animal with his cellphone and informed the park's leaders of the good news. 

“After decades of working at the park, this is the first time I have seen a rare greater hog badger," Linh said.

"It is difficult to explain how happy we are as we previously thought there were no more of this species left in the park."

This finding is a sign that proves that the park's biodiversity is gradually recovering.

Greater hog badger, whose scientific name is Arctonyx collaris, is quite gentle and mainly eats fruit and small animals. 

The animal, which bears a pig-like nose, has been listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 2008 due to excessive poaching.

Other endangered animals have also been making appearances in the park. Particularly, a Truong Son muntjac (Muntiacus truongsonensis) was recently captured on video by a group of tourists, along with a flock of white pheasants seen foraging for food within the park.

Perhaps most interesting is that these endangered animals all showed friendly attitudes toward humans. 

“Many visitors to the park have experienced the unforgettable moment of coming across a rare and wild animal,” Linh said. 

The park will continue strengthening patrols to prevent the illegal poaching of animals, Linh stressed.

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