VIENTIANE, Laos, July 24 A little-known species of Laotian deer called a large-antlered muntjac has been photographed for the first time in the wild.
The Wildlife Conservation Society said the deer, previously known only from specimens collected by hunters and a few fleeting glimpses by biologists, stands approximately 25-30 inches and weighs up to 110 pounds. Its namesake antlers are significantly larger than other muntjac species found in Indochina.
The photographs were taken using camera traps set in Laos' Nakai Nam Theun National Protected Area in the Annamite Mountains along the Laos-Vietnam border.
The cameras were set by a team from the Nam Theun Watershed Management and Protection Authority -- a new institution established by the Lao government to manage the more than 1,500 square miles of protected area.
Also photographed was an Annamite striped rabbit, one of the world's rarest and least-known members of the rabbit/hare family.
"We are very excited about these photos," said Sangthong Southammakoth, executive director of the watershed authority. "They show the global significance of the Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area, and reinforce the importance of our work."
Copyright 2007 by UPI
