This rare animal is in a critical state and was first discovered in the Truong Son mountain range of Vietnam in 1997.
Truong Son Muntjac (scientific name: Muntiacus truongsonenis) is a species of ungulate belonging to the Cervidae family, subfamily Muntiacinae, genus Muntiacus.
Truong Son Muntjac is a species of ungulate belonging to the Cervidae family.
This species was first discovered in the Truong Son mountain range in Vietnam in 1997. After several years without sightings, it was believed that this species had gone extinct. However, in 2021, researchers found the Truong Son Muntjac in the mountainous forests of Thua Thien-Hue.
In the last five years, through various biodiversity monitoring activities, the park has recorded the presence of this species in multiple locations within Bach Ma National Park, thanks to a network of camera traps.
Notably, in March of this year, two Truong Son Muntjacs were spotted and photographed by foreign tourists at the summit of Bach Ma.
The area where these tourists captured images of the Truong Son Muntjac is located in front of the Phong Lan Hotel (Km18 + 500) at the peak of Bach Ma.
In March of this year, two Truong Son Muntjacs were spotted by foreign tourists.
Previously, images of these two individuals shared on social media received a lot of positive feedback, with many expressing surprise that this species still exists.
Mr. Hoang Nhu Phuong, who shared the post on social media, stated that the images of the two Truong Son Muntjacs photographed at Bach Ma were taken by a couple of tourists from France.
On the afternoon of March 9, 2024, this couple was photographing the scenery on Bach Ma Mountain when they discovered the two rare Truong Son Muntjacs near the swimming pool, in front of the Phong Lan Hotel.
The Truong Son Muntjac is an endemic species that is critically endangered. The Truong Son Muntjac has a body shape resembling that of a muntjac but is smaller, making it one of the smallest in the Cervidae family, weighing between 14 – 20 kg.
Its body is covered with a fine coat of yellow-brown or rusty yellow fur. It has slender legs and a thick tail. Males have short, unbranched antlers. Its skull resembles that of a muntjac but is smaller, with rounder eye sockets and lacrimal pits. Both males and females have long canine teeth protruding from their mouths.
The distribution area of the Truong Son Muntjac is limited, as it inhabits old-growth forests, making it vulnerable to frequent hunting and trapping.
In addition to the Truong Son Muntjac, Bach Ma Mountain is home to many rare and endangered species such as the White pheasant, Yellow-headed box turtle, Indochinese mountain tortoise, Purple-breasted pheasant, pangolins, flying squirrels, and Black-shanked douc langurs.
