A NEW HOPE FOR THE SAOLA

In early May 2025, an international team of scientists - led by professors from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) in collaboration with Vietnamese researchers - published a groundbreaking report titled "Genomes of critically endangered saola are shaped by population structure and purging." The report appeared in Cell, one of the world’s leading scientific journals.

The research was based on 26 saola samples collected and preserved over more than 30 years - including bones and soft tissues from specimens provided by local communities. The team sequenced the entire genome of the species and, for the first time, identified key genetic characteristics of this elusive animal.

The study also demonstrated that integrating individuals from two separate populations into captive breeding programs could significantly enhance the species’ chances of survival and recovery, both in the short and long term.

Dr. Nguyễn Mạnh Hà, Director of the Center for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD) and a member of the research team, shared: "Decoding the genome of a rare species like the saola provides a crucial scientific foundation for developing conservation and recovery plans for the species. CCD hopes that Vietnam will prioritize allocating resources to build more scientific, coordinated, and effective conservation strategies for the saola and other wildlife species in the near future, especially as we uncover more valuable information about them."

From 2015 to 2025, CCD actively engaged in efforts to survey and collect DNA samples of the saola to support assessments of its distribution and population genetics. The collected samples and data played a key role in the recently published whole-genome study of the species.