birdienl | 100 things challenge

You'd think that in the 21st century, scientist know of every living creature in every corner of the earth. But no, new species of plants and animals are still discovered regularly.

In 1992, a group of researchers from the WWF found skulls of an unknown bovid in hunter's huts in a nature reserve in Vietnam. The villagers called the animal saola, which translated means 'spindle-horned'. The researchers proposed a survey to observe the living animal, but 20 years later, there is still no report of a sighting in the wild of a saola by a scientist, though it had been captured on camera-trap footage. In 2010, a saola was captured by villagers, but it died before it could be released back into the wild. In the last few years, some more saola have been captured, but none of them survived for long, making scientists believe these animals cannot sustain captivity.

The very limited information known about the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) tells us that they live in mountain forests of Vietnam and Laos. The animals are shy and never enter cultivated fields or come close to villages. They are reported to eat small leafy plants and live in couples or groups of three. Though it it unknown how many saola are living in the wild,
they might be the rarest bovid species and one of the world's rarest mammal species.

I think it is nice to hear nature still has secrets for us, even in 2013!

Here are my answers to the 'Top 5'-meme I posted last week:

ever_maedhros asked for my Top 5 classical music pieces:
1.'For unto us a Child is born' from the Messiah by G.F. Händel. Classic Christmas music. It's not really Advent until I've listened to my Messiah cd a few times!

2. Utrecht Te Deum by G.F. Händel. Written by Händel to commemorate the Treaty of Utrecht to end the Spanish Succession war in 1713. I sang this piece to commemorate the 370th birthday of Utrecht University 5 years ago. Good memories and a great piece of music!

3. The lark ascending by Ralph Vaughn William. The first piece of classical music I fell in love with. Very atmospheric!

4. 'Coffee cantata' or BWV 211 by J.S. Bach. Because the lyrics are just so theatrical and funny!

5. A ceremony of carols by B. Britten. Also classic Christmas music! And I also sung it myself!

msantimacassar asked for my Top 5 period drama couples and also had the nerve to ask for my Top 5 books (tssk..)!
Books (really in no particular order, that's too hard)

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

Arena - Karen Hancock (Christian fantasy/allegory)

Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the with and the wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

Honorable mentions: Emma - Jane Austen, the Thursday Next novels - Jasper Fforde, North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë, almost anything by Lynn Austin

Period drama couples

1: Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy (P&P)

2: Jane Eyre/Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre)

3: Elinor Dashwood/Edward Ferrars (S&S)

4: Bathseba Everdene/Gabriel Oak (Far from the Madding Crowd)

5: Bella Wilfer/John Harmon aka John Rokesmith (Our Mutual Friend)

Honorable mentions (could also slide in places 4-5, depending on what I've been watching last): Amy Dorrit/Arthur Clennam (Little Dorrit), Sybil/Branson (Downton Abbey), Peggy Bell/William Buxton (Return to Cranford), Margaret Hale/Mr. Thornton (North and South)

And

caffeinatedlife asked for my Top 5 classics I would like to see (re)adapted
1. Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell: I loved the book, it's got great characters and interesting social issues. I even planned to do a casting picspam for it once, but you know, time....

2. Sanditon by Jane Austen: A whole new Austen, without adapting a prequel, sequel or modernized version, wouldn't that be great? I've always been partial to the Sanditon version finished by 'an unknown lady', I found the story charming and it could very well make a 1-part feature length tv film, like the last Northanger Abbey. After all, they tackled the unfinished classic Edwin Drood, so should be able to do Sanditon.

3. Not really a classic, but wouldn't it be great to have a film about the life of the Brontë sisters? I recently read a very good novel about them (of which I really should write review...), that would be a good starting point for an adaptation

4. Vilette by Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre has been adapted to 'death', why not try another of Charlotte's novels? Vilette is a very powerful and very personal story with a strong heroine to rival Jane Eyre. Perhaps they should only change the very ending in the adaptation....

5. A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens: The last adaptation was in the '80s. I have read the book, but did not really love or understand it, while many other Dickens fans name it their favourite. Maybe an adaption would help me love it more!