Scientists Just Unlocked the DNA of a “Unicorn” — But Is It Already Extinct?

Deep in the misty forests of Vietnam and Laos, a creature so rare it’s nicknamed the “Asian unicorn” might still be clinging to existence—if it hasn’t vanished already.

Discovered by scientists in 1992, the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) became one of the most mysterious large mammals known to science. Even then, it was already endangered. Since the last confirmed sighting in 2013, the search has gone cold. But now, a team of international scientists has delivered a breakthrough that could be the key to saving it—if there are any left to save.

In a new study published in Cell, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and institutions across Vietnam and beyond have mapped the complete genomes of 26 individual saolas for the first time. Using bone fragments collected from remote villages, they’ve pieced together the most detailed genetic picture of the species ever created.

And the results may reshape everything we know about this cryptic animal.

The team discovered that saolas are divided into two genetically distinct populations that likely split between 5,000 and 20,000 years ago. This division had never been documented before and could be crucial to the species’ survival. Each population carries unique genetic variations, meaning that bringing them together in a captive breeding program could restore critical genetic diversity and give the species a fighting chance.

“There was no way we could have known this without the genetic data,” said lead author Genís Garcia Erill, formerly of the University of Copenhagen. “The differences between the populations actually complement each other.”

But there's a massive catch: no one knows if any saolas still exist.

Researchers have tried everything from camera traps to extracting DNA from local leeches—without success. Still, with the complete genome now decoded, scientists believe they finally have the tools to launch a more effective search using advanced DNA detection methods in the wild.

“If we can locate just a dozen saolas—ideally from both populations—we could build a viable breeding population,” said study co-author Rasmus Heller. “But that depends entirely on whether any are left.”

Even if the saola has already slipped into extinction, the new findings have long-term implications. With the genome now available, future technologies like genetic de-extinction could theoretically bring the species back—though that remains a highly controversial and complex possibility.

For now, conservationists are racing against time. Whether the saola still haunts the forests of the Annamite Mountains is unknown, but with this new genomic roadmap, hope isn’t entirely lost.

“We still can’t prove they’re gone,” said Nguyen Quoc Dung of Vietnam’s Forest Inventory and Planning Institute. “And as long as there’s a chance, we have to keep looking.”