"LAST CHANCE TO SAVE RARE ASIAN ANIMAL FROM EXTINCTION?"

Extinction in the News:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903064444.htm

- The Saola is in danger of becoming extinct.

- The Saola lives in the Annamite and in Vietnam.

- It is closely related to wild cattle; however, it looks like some species of desert antelopes.

- The major threats to the Saola’s survival are poachers and hunting dogs.

- There are no Saolas being kept in captivity, so if they die out, there is no possibility for them to be reintroduced into the wild.

Reflection:

I chose this story because of the title. When I saw “Last chance to save rare Asian animal” I immediately became interested. Living in such a nice, isolated area, it is hard to imagine that there are animals out there that are dying out, when I see such an abundance of animals (dogs, cats, deer) everywhere I go. It also amazed me that there are no Saolas being kept in captivity, which puts them in even graver danger of extinction. It also amazed me because it made me even more aware how many more animals I haven’t even seen, much less knew existed. Before this article, I had no idea there was a species named Saolas. In conclusion, this article made me aware of how little of the earth’s animals I have really even seen.