10th November 2023
10th November 2023
Dear Friends of Saola
We are excited to bring you an interview with two of our stellar technical partners, Aimee Hurt of Working Dogs for Conservation and Paul Bunker of Chiron K9. Paul and Aimee recently spent nearly a month with their dogs and our team in Laos. In this interview, they share their insights from the field, and discuss the innovative potential of sign detection dogs to help save rare wildlife species, such as the Saola.
You can access the full interview here.
September for Saola: A Road Trip to Remember
In September 2023, our CEO, Dr. Lorraine Scotson, combined her passion for Saola with her love for road trips on a journey over land and sea to Helsinki, Finland, to attend the Annual Conference of the European Association of Zoo’s
and Aquaria (EAZA). She had a special companion for the trip – her daughter Jessie, who, at 4-years old, may the world’s youngest ambassador for Saola.
Lorraine and Jessie unwinding by the Baltic Sea
At the EAZA Conference, Lorraine presented at the Cattle & Camelid Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting, and the Afro-Eurasian Monkey TAG to announce our project to document an undescribed leaf monkey in the Lao
Annamites. During the conference, EAZA also introduced its new ‘Vietnamazing Campaign’, which aims to build awareness and support for wildlife conservation in Vietnam. This initiative stresses the critical importance of protecting the
country’s distinctive ecosystems and endangered species, including, of course, one of the most iconic animals in Vietnam, Saola.
EAZA launch of Vietnamazing Campaign
During her trip, Lorraine also visited Copenhagen Zoo, which has a long history of supporting Saola. In fact, the zoo once made a donation to Saola conservation in honour of the 80th birthday of Prince Consort Henrik. Other stops for Lorraine were a presentation at Artis Zoo, Amsterdam, and a Saola networking event at Watatunga Wildlife Reserve in Norfolk, England. The
latter marked our first UK event, and what an event it was! Nestled just north of London, the reserve hosted a confluence of conservationists, zoo enthusiasts, and Saola aficionados. With representatives from Watatunga, Fauna and
Flora International, the Saola Working Group, Colchester Zoo, and Synchronicity Earth attending, the networking was fruitful, teeming with potential for future collaborations. A special thanks to Ed Pope, the founder and owner of Watatunga Wildlife Reserve, for being such a wonderful host for
the event.
Watatunga’s experience of hosting the event is described here. As we continue to amplify the voice for Saola conservation, this road trip has been a testament to the magic that can happen when we share passion and
purpose with our allies.
Onward and upwards to more adventures and collaborations!
Aya Sakamoto of Synchronicity Earth, Lorraine, and Nina Seale of
Synchronicity Earth holding a wonderful Saola knitted by our friend Brent
Huffman of Toronto Zoo. Photo: Aya Sakamoto
A Eurasian Crane intrigues guests on the Watatunga Wildlife Reserve guided
buggy tour at the Saola networking event. Photo: © Helen Black | Watatunga
Wildlife Reserve
Our program in the Media
Here are some recent media highlights made possible through our esteemed Saola Gold Circle partners.
1. Beauval Nature: The latest issue of their magazine focused on herbivores, and included an interview with Lorraine, who talked about how we work together with Beauval to save Saola and make a better, greener world.
2. Mandai Nature: Discover Mandai Nature’s latest post about Conservation Heroes, where Lorraine talks about her conservation journey and what she finds most rewarding. Click here.
3. Synchronicity Earth: Highlights our conservation efforts in their latest blog, ‘One Last Chance to Find the Saola’; where they dive into the challenge being undertaken by the Saola Foundation and what we are doing to race against time to find and save Saola. Read more here.
These partnerships support our commitment to conservation in the Annamite Mountains. By working together, we can make a positive difference for endangered species and local communities who share the forests with them.The Saola Foundation Team
Our mailing address is:
Saola Foundation
512 N 50th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53208 USA
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