Researchers may have discovered a previously unknown species of the giant elephant shrew -- a small mammal with a nose like a trunk -- in a remote Kenyan forest.
"It is believed to be a new species of giant sengi, otherwise known as an elephant shrew (Macroscelidea)," the conservationists from the Zoological Society of London and the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) scientists said in a statement.
The animals are more closely related to elephants than shrews despite their size, and got their name because of their long, flexible, trunk-like nose. The animals were captivating due to their ancient and often misunderstood ancestry, their monogamous mating, and their flexible snouts used to forage for food.
Forty years ago, forests covered 12 percent of Kenya, but now it is just 1.7 percent. Greed, irresponsibility and mismanagement of public resources have been blamed for the degradation.
Sam Andanje from the KWS said the discovery underlined the significance of conserving isolated forests in Kenya.