The administration of Hue City, located in central Vietnam, has received a non-refundable grant of over VND3.1 billion (US$121,000) from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to support efforts in tracking and protecting the saola (spindlehorn) – a species on the brink of extinction, often referred to as the ‘Asian unicorn.’

The municipal People's Committee on Tuesday announced it had issued a decision to accept the WWF aid for a project aimed at protecting the saola and the ecosystems.

The local government will manage the project, while the city's Department of Agriculture and Environment will serve as its implementing body.

The grant is intended to enhance the capacity and involvement of social organizations in biodiversity conservation.

It will also support saola protection, raise public awareness, and engage stakeholders in shaping policies related to wildlife conservation and management.

Beyond these efforts, the project seeks to eliminate illegal wildlife trade and consumption in the central city while contributing to the implementation of Vietnam’s National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy by 2030, with a vision to 2050.

As part of the project, by June 2025, social organizations and local communities will receive training and resources to improve wildlife protection and management.

Three months later, public awareness campaigns will be launched to promote biodiversity conservation and encourage greater engagement from both authorities and the public.

By mid-2026, forest patrols and protection measures in the Saola Nature Reserve in Hue will be strengthened.

Rangers will receive essential equipment and participate in experience-sharing sessions with conservation experts and colleagues from other protected areas.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment has been tasked with managing and disbursing the grant in accordance with its functions and responsibilities.

The saola, with its scientific name being Pseudoryx nghetinhensis, is one of the rarest and most enigmatic mammals in the world. It was first discovered in 1992 in the Truong Son Mountain Range, along the Vietnam-Laos border.

Due to its extreme rarity and elusive nature, the species has earned the nickname 'Asian unicorn.'

The last confirmed sighting of a saola in Vietnam occurred in 2013, when a camera trap captured an image of one in a forest in central Quang Nam Province.

This discovery was a major breakthrough for scientists, as the species was believed to be on the verge of extinction. Since then, the saola has remained virtually undetected in Vietnam’s forests.

Although no new sightings have been recorded, increasing conservation efforts – led by local authorities and international organizations – have helped gradually restore many of the forests in Vietnam.

Other rare and endangered species, such as the Truong Son muntjac, Annamite striped rabbit, and Asiatic black bear, have been observed more frequently in natural habitats within saola conservation areas along the Truong Son Mountain Range.

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