A new WWF report reveals 224 plant and vertebrate animal species were discovered in the Greater Mekong region (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam) in 2020. These species include 155 plants, 16 fish, 17 amphibians, 35 reptiles, and one mammal, bringing the total number of new species described in this region to 3,007 since 1997.
Among the new discoveries is a primate, the Popa langur, named after an extinct volcano in Myanmar, a “stink bug” flower that is also used in a chili dipping sauce by the Isan people of northern Thailand, and the first succulent bamboo species, meaning its stems can inflate and deflate during the dry and wet seasons, enabling it to survive different drought conditions.
These discoveries are thanks to the work of hundreds of scientists, NGOs, and other research and academic institutions around the world. They also demonstrate that the region is still a frontline for scientific exploration and a hotspot of species diversity. Unfortunately, many species go extinct before they are even discovered, driven by habitat destruction, diseases spread by human activities, predation by and competition with invasive species, and the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade. WWF is calling on governments in the region to increase protection for these rare species and their shrinking habitats before they disappear.
Check out five of our favorite species from the report: