{"id":462723,"date":"2026-02-11T19:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T19:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/462723\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T19:11:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T19:11:12","slug":"9-rare-animals-caught-on-camera-in-the-amazon-of-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/462723\/","title":{"rendered":"9 rare animals caught on camera in the \u2018Amazon of Asia\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The results of a new camera-trap survey in Southeast Asia is revealing a bevy of hidden biodiversity<\/a> tucked within the Annamites mountain range<\/a>. This largely unexplored wildlife hotspot has a forest stretching 683 miles (1,100 kilometers) across the countries of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.<\/p>\n

The survey took place over the course of 2025 and uncovered numerous enchanting and rare species. The embedded cameras picked up many of the endangered <\/a>animals\u2019 unique behaviors and preferred habitats, while also providing conservationists<\/a> with crucial data on the key threats to the region\u2019s many species. It was conducted by nature conservation charity Fauna & Flora, and its local and global partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Annamites mountain range\u2014sometimes called the \u2018Amazon of Asia\u2019\u2014is alive with a host of incredible creatures, each playing a critical role in maintaining the forest ecosystems that are vital to the health of our planet,\u201d Gareth Goldthorpe, a Senior Technical Adviser, Asia-Pacific, Fauna & Flora said in a statement. \u201cThis camera-trap data allows us to discover some of the Annamites\u2019 rarest species, while also understanding more about their behaviour, preferred topography and their interactions with human settlements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take a look at nine of the survey\u2019s exciting finds below. (Click to expand images to full screen.)<\/p>\n

Asian elephant\"a<\/p>\n

Despite being the smallest elephant species, Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) need room to roam. Forest fragmentation is arguably their greatest threat because it increases their exposure to poaching and to human-elephant conflict. To ensure the species\u2019 long-term survival, protecting and connecting the remaining forested landscapes is critical.Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n

Sun bear\"a<\/p>\n

The name sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) comes from this mammal\u2019s distinctive orange-yellow chest patch. These play-fighting sun bears have poor eyesight and hearing. However, they make up for it with a powerful sense of smell\u2014and strength. Their claws can excavate a bees\u2019 nest and rip open termite mounts, which are as hard as concrete concrete. Sun bears are currently threatened by deforestation and poaching for their gall bladder and paws. Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n

Clouded leopard\"a<\/p>\n

The clouded leopard\u2019s (Helarctos malayanus) markings make it a prime target for poachers in the illegal wildlife trade. The felines are often trafficked alive as exotic pets and their pelts are illegally sold to make luxury clothing and decorations. They also may be killed for their teeth, claws, and bones, which are passed off as tiger parts. Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n

Great hornbill\"a<\/p>\n

Great hornbills (Buceros bicornis) are large birds that play an important role as seed dispersers. They feed on fruit high in the forest canopy and then fly around, spreading seeds as they go. This and other hornbill species have earned the nickname \u201cbarometers of biodiversity\u201d because the presence of these threatened birds is a strong indicator of a healthy forest. Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n

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Sunda pangolin\"a<\/p>\n

Baby Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) are affectionately called pangopups and have a unique way of getting around the forest. They hitch a ride on board their mother\u2019s tail. Sunda pangolins are critically endangered and their meta and scales make these scaly anteaters the world\u2019s most trafficked mammal. This pangolin was photographed at Pu Mat National Park in Vietnam. Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n

Asian leopard catSerow\"a<\/p>\n

The shy and elusive serow (any of four species in the genus Capricornis) is kind of like a cross between an antelope and a goat. These medium-sized, black-furred mammals prefer rocky, forested hillsides. They are often hunted for their meat and a pair of short horns. Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n

Stump-tailed macaque\"two<\/p>\n

In this photo, a mother and baby stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides) are perching on a fallen tree. These primates are known for their short, hairless tail, and spend a lot of their day feeding on fallen fruit on the forest floor. Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n

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Grey peacock-pheasant\"a<\/p>\n

A male peacock-pheasant (from the genus Polyplectron) is trying to impress watching females with his iridescent eyespots (or ocelli) and strutting his stuff on a \u201cdance floor\u201d he has created among the forest\u2019s leaf litter. Image: \u00a9 Fauna & Flora.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The results of a new camera-trap survey in Southeast Asia is revealing a bevy of hidden biodiversity tucked…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":462724,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[215696,58657,215693,215695,215694,56852,79,8348,201],"class_list":{"0":"post-462723","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-annamites","9":"tag-asian-elephant","10":"tag-elephant-species","11":"tag-fauna-flora","12":"tag-forest-ecosystems","13":"tag-rare-species","14":"tag-science","15":"tag-southeast-asia","16":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=462723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/462724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=462723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=462723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=462723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}