A small elephant species species that has been lost to science for more than half a century has reappeared in the Horn of Africa, according to new research.
The Somali sengi, a monogamous animal similar to porcupines, elephants and manatees, but only a few inches long, has not been observed by scientists since 1968 and is one of the 25 most sought after species in the Global Wildlife Conservation Group, according to a Tuesday press release by the group.
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists found the small mammals last year in Djibouti, according to a new paper in the peer-reviewed journal PeerJ.
Although it was previously known that she was only from Somalia, the team of researchers had received tips that it could be in Djibouti. During interviews with the researchers, the local Djiboutian people were able to identify it from a series of photographs.
The scientists put more than 1,200 skins in a dozen locations, and bathed the animals with peanut butter, oatmeal and yeast. She conquered a Somali sengi in the steepest trap.
“It was amazing,” Steven Heritage, a research scientist at the Duke University Lemur Center and lead author on paper, said in the release. ‘When we opened the first staircase and saw the small tuft of hair at the tip of the tail, we just looked at each other and could not believe it. A number of small mammal studies since the 1970s did not find the Somali sengi in Djibouti – it was serendipitous that it happened to us so quickly. ”
The team spent a dozen sengs during the expedition and received the first photos and video of the live animals for scientific documentation. There were no imminent threats to their habitat.
“For those of us living in Djibouti, and due to the Horn of Africa expansion, we have never considered the sengis ‘lost’, but this new study brings the Somali sengi back into the scientific community, which we value. , “sei Houssein Rayaleh of Association Djibouti Nature. “For Djibouti, this is an important story that highlights the great biodiversity of the country and the region and shows that there are opportunities for new science and research here.”
The reorganization also sparked the dazzling DNA finding that the Somali Sengi tribe is most closely related to Sengis living as far away as Morocco and South Africa.
Another expedition is set for 2022 in which researchers will radio-tag individual sengis to answer specific questions about the animals’ lifestyles.
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