Phou Sithone

Phou Sithone is an Endangered Species Conservation Area of about 142 km2 in Bolikhamxay Province, Laos, in the northern Annamite Mountains, with elevations from 600 to 1,700 m.

Phou Sithone was set up to protect the saola, a rare forest bovid of the Annamites. Its main threat is unregulated hunting of ungulates and other large animals, mainly with snares and traps.

A study of saola habitat use at the site found that the understory is dominated by plants in the families Melastomataceae, Zingiberaceae and Arecaceae (palms), along with bamboo.

The area is mountainous, rising between 600 and 1,700 m in the Annamite range.

Like the rest of Laos, the area has a monsoon climate with a wet season and a dry season.

Rangers at the site are recruited mainly from local villages.

The conservation area was established after villagers captured a live saola in August 2010.

Phou Sithone is a wildlife-protection site rather than a visitor destination, and the sources consulted mention no trails or attractions.

The sources consulted mention no visitor facilities at Phou Sithone.

The Wildlife Conservation Society and Bolikhamxay Province manage conservation work there through an Integrated Ecosystem and Wildlife Management Project. In 2014, three ranger teams collected 1,216 snares from the core area. A proposed extension of 252 km2 lies adjacent to the west.