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Rare Animal Rediscovered

FOUND A rare silver-backed chevrotain SOUTHERN INSTITUTE OF ECOLOGY/GLOBAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION/LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR ZOO AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH/NCNP/AP

A tiny deerlike animal has been rediscovered in Vietnam. This is according to a paper published on November 11. The silver-backed chevrotain had not been seen since 1990. “For so long, this species has seemingly only existed as part of our imagination,” said An Nguyen. He’s a scientist with Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC).

The chevrotain is about the size of a rabbit. It’s also called a mouse-deer. But it’s not a mouse. And it’s not a deer. It’s the world’s smallest ungulate. That’s an animal with hooves.

The species was thought to be lost forever to poaching and deforestation. Since confirming that the animal still exists, GWC is making a plan to save it. “We’re moving quickly to figure out how best to protect it,” Nguyen said.