Ungulate fauna, including an endemic part of the Greater Mekong subregion, is in danger of disappearing forever unless governments in the region step up protection and efforts.
On September 12, the WWF (International Fund for Nature) warned in a new report: “Fighting in the deep forest”.
The report mentions 13 species of ungulates. In particular, there are two endemic species to the Greater Mekong subregion, the gray cow and the Schomburgk deer, which were globally extinct at the start of the 20th century.
Meanwhile, the Indochinese deer and saola are in danger of disappearing forever. Many other species have the same fate as wild deer and bison. The bison population, considered one of the most beautiful and graceful wild cattle, has declined by 80% since the late 1960s.
Throughout Asia, wild cattle and large deer are the main prey of tigers, preserving the region’s ungulates directly linked to the fate of the tiger, which has grown from 1,200 to 350 individuals since 1998, in the sub-region. of the Greater Mekong. If these prey populations continue to decline, it would pose a serious threat to the remaining tiger population.
WWF is known to work with governments and partners to restore populations and bring ungulates back to the forests where they once lived, and connect fragmented forests to ensure that species populations can increase.
