This little fur ball has a trunk like an elephant, but is the size of a cat! Until now, no one knew that the Rhynochocyon udzungwensis existed as it's remained a hidden secret of the mountains of Tanzania
It's a giant elephant shrew, also known as sengi, but really, it should have been called an eleshrew. The BBC says it "looks like a cross between a miniature antelope and a small ant eater."
"It has a grey face, a long, flexible snout, a bulky, amber body, a jet-black rump and it stands on spindly legs."
Even more bizarre is that it's not related to a shrew at all; it actually shares a common ancestor with elephants, sea cows, aardvarks and hyraxes.
I'm not sure what this means in the world of trends, but perhaps it just goes to show that while some scientists are busy creating new breeds of animals in labs (glittering gold seahorses, glow-in-the-dark cats, pigs and fish) there are still already existing species ready to be discovered.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- New Species Discovery
- The discovery of the giant elephant shrew raises the possibility of finding other undiscovered species.
- Biomimicry Innovation
- The Giant Elephant Shrew's flexible snout and body could inspire solutions in flexible materials and robotics.
- Conservation & Preservation
- The discovery of new species highlights the importance of conservation and preservation efforts in protecting vulnerable ecosystems.
Sectors Adopting This
- Biotechnology
- Biotechnology industries can take inspiration from the discovery of the Giant Elephant Shrew to develop new breeds of animals or improve existing breeds.
- Materials Science
- The Giant Elephant Shrew's unique body structure can inspire innovations in flexible materials and robotics in the field of materials science.
- Ecotourism
- The discovery of new species and the promotion of preserving vulnerable ecosystems and wildlife can create opportunities in the ecotourism industry.
