Extremely rare species spotted in 'Asia's Amazon'

Camera traps have taken pictures of some "extremely rare" species in the Annamites mountain range in South East Asia.

The range stretches across Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and is described by the conservation charity Fauna & Flora as the "Amazon of Asia".

Camera traps are remote cameras that take pictures when a sensor is triggered usually by movement.

Gareth Goldthorpe who worked on the project says data from the traps lets them "discover some of the Annamites' rarest species, while also understanding more about their behaviour".

A wide range of animals were captured on camera by the traps, from bears to leopards, and even elephants too.

A couple of Sun bears were spotted play-fighting - the species can be identified by the distinctive orange-yellow patch on their chests.

The cameras also caught the endangered rabbit species named after the mountain range - the Annamite striped rabbit - which experts say has only been photographed a handful of times, and was unknown to science until 1996.

One bird species that was pictured, the great hornbill, could be a good sign for the habitat as the presence of these birds is thought to be an indicator of a healthy forest.

The work took place throughout 2025 and revealed a range of hidden wildlife.

It gave researchers more information about the species living there, including how they behave and their favourite places and habitats.

The scientists said it also showed some of the threats they faced and that conservation work is needed that "considers both the needs of wildlife and local communities".