Rare Animals in Vietnam: The Complete List

Vietnam’s forests, wetlands and coastal waters shelter species found nowhere else, and many of them face pressing threats from habitat loss and hunting. Fieldwork in remote areas continues to refine our understanding of Vietnam’s wildlife and which animals need urgent attention.

There are 22 Rare Animals in Vietnam, ranging from Annamite muong (Annamite muntjac)* to Yangtze giant softshell turtle. For each entry the list provides Scientific name,IUCN status,Primary range (Vietnam), which you’ll find below.

How up-to-date are the IUCN statuses listed here?

IUCN assessments are updated periodically; this list uses the most recent published statuses available but some local surveys or new discoveries can change a species’ outlook quickly—check the IUCN Red List entry date and recent research or local conservation reports for the latest information.

If I want to see these animals, what’s the responsible approach?

Many of these species are rare, elusive, or legally protected; seek reputable guides or conservation programs, prioritize observation from a distance, avoid disturbing animals or their habitat, and report significant sightings to local authorities or research groups to support conservation.

Rare Animals in Vietnam

Images and Descriptions

Saola

A forest-dwelling bovine discovered in 1992, the saola is extremely rare with only a handful of confirmed records. It’s iconic for Vietnam’s conservation needs; habitat loss and hunting make population estimates uncertain and extremely low.

Tonkin snub-nosed monkey

A highly distinctive black-and-white primate with a proboscis-like nose, known only from scattered northern karst forests. Fewer than a few hundred remain; habitat fragmentation and hunting are the main threats to its survival.

Cat Ba langur

A striking, golden-faced langur found only on Cat Ba Island. Once down to a few dozen individuals, strict protection and captive-breeding have helped slightly; still critically endangered due to tiny range and past hunting.

Delacour’s langur

A black-and-white langur restricted to northern karst landscapes; very small, fragmented groups persist in protected karst reserves. Hunting and habitat loss made it one of the world’s rarest primates.

Edwards’s pheasant

A highly sought-after, forest pheasant endemic to central Vietnam. Once thought extinct in the wild, a few populations survive in remote forests; habitat clearance and trapping remain grave threats.

Vietnamese pond turtle

An endemic freshwater turtle reduced by overcollection for trade and habitat loss. Wild populations are tiny; captive-breeding programs exist but wild recovery remains uncertain.

Yangtze giant softshell turtle

One of the world’s rarest turtles; only a handful of individuals remain globally. Famous for the Hoàn Kiếm Lake story, its survival hinges on intensive conservation and captive breeding.

Siamese crocodile

Once widespread, now surviving as isolated remnant populations in a few protected wetlands. Captive-breeding, habitat recovery and protection from hunting are critical for any wild recovery in Vietnam.

Sunda pangolin

A victim of heavy international trade, the Sunda pangolin is now critically endangered in Vietnam. Rare to see due to nocturnal, secretive habits and severe poaching pressure for scales and meat.

Chinese pangolin

Once widespread, now drastically reduced by illegal trade. Easily poached and slow to reproduce, Chinese pangolins are extremely rare and of high conservation concern across Vietnam.

Indochinese tiger

Vietnam’s tiger population has plummeted; tigers are functionally extinct in many areas. Remaining records are extremely rare; conservation focuses on habitat, anti-poaching, and regional cooperation.

Asian elephant

Small, fragmented herds persist in forested highlands. Human–elephant conflict, habitat loss and poaching have reduced numbers to the low hundreds; important cultural and conservation symbol.

Large-antlered muntjac

Found in remote Annamite forests, the large-antlered muntjac is rare and elusive. Hunting and habitat degradation threaten its small populations discovered in the 1990s.

Annamite striped rabbit

A nocturnal, striped rabbit discovered recently in Annamite forests. It’s rare, restricted to high-elevation forest and threatened mainly by hunting and habitat loss.

Red-shanked douc

A colorful, arboreal monkey celebrated for its vivid face and long tail. Populations have declined from hunting and forest fragmentation; still present in small, vulnerable groups in protected forests.

Grey-shanked douc

A critically attractive leaf-eating primate with limited range in central Vietnam. Hunting and logging have caused steep declines, making it one of Vietnam’s priority conservation species.

Black-shanked douc

A rare douc species with smaller populations in southern Vietnam’s forests. Threatened by hunting and habitat conversion; sightings are infrequent and populations fragmented.

Owston’s civet

A small, shy civet with a limited, declining range in Vietnam. Forest loss and trapping for wildlife trade have rendered it rare and localised in remaining forest patches.

Vietnamese leaf turtle

Several central Vietnamese stream turtles face severe declines from collection and habitat change. Endemic forms have tiny populations and high conservation concern from trade-driven depletion.

Annamite muong (Annamite muntjac)*

A small muntjac described from the Trường Sơn (Annamite) range; rare and secretive with few confirmed records. Habitat and hunting pressures keep populations low and poorly known.

Sao la deer (local name reference)

The saola (often called the “Asian unicorn”) is so rare it’s more famous for absence than presence; critically endangered, barely known, and emblematic of Vietnam’s imperiled Annamite biodiversity.

Vietnamese leaf warbler (example endemic bird)

A small, localized songbird with restricted forest habitat in central mountains. Habitat loss and limited range make it uncommon; birdwatchers prize any sighting as notable.

Rare Animals in Other Countries