The Somali sengi is a small, mouse-sized species of the Elephant shrew that was last documented by scientists in 1968. The tiny creature mates for life and despite its small stature, is known to reach speeds of up to 30 km/h.
Last year, scientists set out to search for the mystery animal, after they’d heard rumours of it being spotted in Djibouti, Africa.
Knowing that sengis find shelter from birds, the researchers searched for the creature in the dry, rocky landscape and were shocked to find one in their first attempt.
“It was amazing,” said Steven Heritage, a research scientist at Duke University in the US. “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.”
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The team found 12 sengis in total and through DNA analysis, were able to link the species back to other sengis as far away as Morocco and South Africa. The immense distance between the different species (which has territory size of an average backyard) has astounded scientists who are now looking to solve the evolutionary mystery.
Houssein Rayaleh from Association Djibouti Nature says the remarkable findings signal new opportunities for scientific exploration in the region.
“For us living in Djibouti, 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,” Rayaleh said. “For Djibouti this highlights the great biodiversity of the country and shows that there are opportunities for new science and research here.”
The Somali sengi was the fifth animal on the Global Wildlife Conservation Search for Lost Species “25 most wanted” list, alongside the Bullneck sea horse, Fernandina Galapagos tortoise and the Pondicherry shark.
