On August 2, Mr. Pham Hong Thai - Director of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park said that the camera trap system here has just recorded a vivid image of the Truong Son grass rat (Laonastes aenigmamus), one of the species that was thought to be extinct 11 million years ago.
This is the first time the Truong Son stone rat has been recorded as being lively in the wild, in a position to provide for food at night. The camera trap system has been deployed since the end of 2024 in coordination with international conservation organizations, located in the strictly protected subdivision of the national park. To date, the system has recorded 424 photos of rock rhinos at 10 different trapping stations.
Notably, the distribution of the species has been expanded through images recorded at PN-KB 77, 80, 97, 115 and 121 stations. This shows that this rat species still maintains a certain population in the limestone mountains along Truong Son, a limited area of Vietnam and Laos.
Truong Son stone crab is a reptile in the family Diatomyidae, a group that has only existed as an fossil since the Miocene period. This species was first rediscovered in the Phong Nha - Ke Bang area a few years ago but only through specimens.
This live recording is considered a major turning point in conservation work in Vietnam.
Mr. Pham Hong Thai commented: recording images of the species that were thought to have gone extinct millions of years ago is a shocking discovery. This is not only a scientific victory but also affirms the vital importance of a strict protection system against climate change and degradation of habitats.
