An article in this week’s National Geographic proves that Cambodia’s national animal – the Kouprey (pronounced “ko-prah”) – is indeed its own species.

A study shows evidence that the animal is not, as previously thought, a hybrid of two related species of ox. The Kouprey, a dark-coated ox with large, curling horns, was first identified as a species in 1937. Cambodia made it the country’s national symbol in 1960.

The full article – by Anne Casselman for National Geographic – can be read here