Even the list of endangered species has grown larger over the past few years, and several species thought to be extinct have been discovered.
If last year animal experts witnessed rare encounters with some extremely elusive animals such as clouded leopards or saki monkeys, this time, a small and extremely cute species has appeared. miraculously reappeared in nature.
The Shew Elephant has been rediscovered, after these cute little creatures have been listed as a “lost species” for the past 50 years. With the last sighting of the species recorded in 1968, elephant shgews were “back in sight”. They were rediscovered during an expedition in Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa.
Apparently, the puzzling creatures were well hidden, as the researchers confirmed the abundance of these animals in the area. Neither shrews nor elephants, these cute little creatures are also known as “sengi” and are surprisingly (or not) related to elephants; aarvarks and manatees too. In fact, their noses reassemble the trunks of elephants. In miniature, of course!
To track them, the researchers used more than 1,000 traps in 12 separate locations. Apparently, the mixture of peanut butter, oatmeal, and yeast is responsible for the rediscovery of snegie.
Here you can watch two amazing elephant shrews enjoying the morning sun!
“When we opened the first trap and saw a small tuft of hair on the tip of the tail, we just looked at another trap and couldn’t believe it,” said Steven Heritage, a researcher at Duke University’s Lemur Center – told the BBC. “…we looked at each other and knew it was something special. They’re not famous animals, but when you see them, you can’t help but admire them.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education