Giant elephant-shrew sparks new species hope

A GIANT elephant-shrew caught on camera in a remote African forest may be a new species, scientists said yesterday.

The mammal, which has a long, flexible, trunk-like nose, was discovered in the Boni-Dodori forest in north-east Kenya.

Camera traps were set up in the remote forest after Grace Wambui, a fellow of the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) Edge of Existence programme which is examining the wildlife of the area, spotted an elusive elephant-shrew she did not recognise.

There are currently 17 known species of elephant-shrew, or giant sengi, which are found in Africa and are more closely related to elephants than shrews. ZSL senior field conservation biologist Dr Rajan Amin said: "We will continue our work to document the forest's rich biodiversity and to determine if this is a new species of elephant-shrew."