An expedition team found a strange species never seen before in one of the caves within the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam.

Le Luu Dung, director of Quang Binh-based Jungle Boss Co., Ltd., said on Sunday that the company’s guides had detected the new creature in Hung cave, located in the strictly protected core area of the park. 

“We have sent pictures of this species to several professional cave exploration groups, but all of them said they have never seen such a creature before,” Dung said.

This may be a new species in the core area of the park and requires more in-depth research on it, he added.

According to the expedition team, this creature was found growing scattered on the surface of stalactites in Hung cave, about 300 meters from the cave entrance.

Observing with the naked eyes, this creature has an opaque white main body with many branches extending from the base, similar to a starfish, and spreading out in multiple directions with a length of several centimeters. 

Above its main body is the secondary part consisting of tentacle-like strands that are white, about a span high, and stretchable.

The strange creature was discovered in Hung cave, part of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Van Uy / Tuoi Tre

The team found 40-50 of these creatures growing scattered in an area of several tens of square meters inside the cave.

The core area of the park has numerous caves, but this unique creature has been detected in Hung cave only, the team stated. 

Nguyen Van Long, head of the Quang Binh Province Forest Protection Department, said he had never seen this creature. 

“We will send images of this creature to leading biological experts for consultation,” Long said.

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