Quang Tri: Recorded live images of a mouse species that was thought to be extinct 11 million years ago

On August 1, Mr. Pham Hong Thai, Director of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (Quang Tri province), confirmed that the Truong Son rock rat species - once thought to be extinct 11 million years ago - has just been recorded by camera traps in the natural environment.

An individual Truong Son rock rat in PN - KB revived after 11 million years of species extinction

The Truong Son rock rat is a rare rodent of the family Diatomyidae, once considered extinct since the Miocene. This species was first rediscovered in 2016 in the Phong Nha - Ke Bang limestone mountain range. This is an endemic species, distributed only in the limestone mountains along the Truong Son range, in the territories of Vietnam and Laos.

Camera trap records 11 million year old living fossils walking in PN - KB at photo station 77

According to Mr. Thai, this is the first time that Truong Son rock rats have been clearly photographed in the wild while foraging. The images were recorded from a modern camera trap program implemented by the National Park in collaboration with international conservation organizations, deployed since the end of 2024. To date, a total of 424 photos of rock rats have been collected at 10 camera trap stations in the strictly protected area.

Notably, the new images have expanded the species' distribution area, with new records at stations PN-KB 77, PN-KB 80, PN-KB 97 and continued detection at stations PN-KB 115, PN-KB 121.

The Ruc people call the Truong Son rock rat that became extinct 11 million years ago Ne Cung.

Mr. Pham Hong Thai emphasized: "The recording of the Truong Son rock rat in the wild is not only a shocking discovery in the biological world, but also emphasizes the vital importance of strictly protected areas, and at the same time poses new responsibilities for conservation work in the context of climate change and increasing habitat encroachment. This is a rare victory for conservation when a species is "returned" to life after 11 million years of being considered lost."

Previously, in 2020, the Truong Son rock rat species had only been confirmed through specimens, and no photos had ever been taken of the creature living in the wild. Therefore, the success of this camera trapping program is considered an important milestone in biodiversity conservation efforts in Vietnam.

MINH PHONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/quang-tri-ghi-nhan-hinh-anh-song-loai-chuot-tung-duoc-cho-la-tuyet-chung-11-trieu-nam-truoc-post806433.html