Also known as Somali sengi (Elephantulus revoilii), the mammal has a long nose, large eyes and a tuft of fur on its tail
By Chris Ciaccia for Fox News
Not seen for almost 50 years, the elephant shrew, a diminutive relative of the elephant, has been spotted in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
Also known as Somali sengi (Elephantulus revoilii), the mammal has a long nose, large eyes and a tuft of fur on its tail. It is related to elephants, aardvarks and manatees, according to a statement from the Global Wildlife Conservation, and had been “lost to science” since 1968.
“For us living in Djibouti, and by extension the Horn of Africa, we never considered the sengis to be ‘lost,’ but this new research does bring the Somali sengi back into the scientific community, which we value,” study co-author Houssein Rayaleh said in the statement. “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 researchers found S. sengi after setting more than 1,200 traps at 12 locations during their 2019 expedition, using a bait comprised of peanut butter, oatmeal and yeast. As luck would have it, they caught S. sengi in the first trap they set.
“It was amazing,” the study’s lead author, Stephen Heritage, added. “When we opened the first trap and saw the little tuft of hair on the tip of its tail, we just looked at one another and couldn’t believe it. A number of small mammal surveys since the 1970s did not find the Somali sengi in Djibouti—it was serendipitous that it happened so quickly for us.” Read more from Fox News.
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