Of course. Here is a news article reporting on that incredible finding.

***

### **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Myth Becomes Reality: Living Herd of Unicorns Discovered in Remote Andes Valley**

**LIMA, PERU** – The world of science was thrown into upheaval today with the announcement of a discovery that fundamentally alters our understanding of both biology and mythology. An international team of researchers, led by Dr. Arriana Vidal of the International Crypto-Zoological and Biological Survey (ICZBS), has confirmed the existence of a living, breeding population of unicorns in a previously unexplored valley deep within the Peruvian Andes.

The species, provisionally named *Equus monoceros andinus* ("the one-horned horse of the Andes"), was found by complete accident. Dr. Vidal's team was originally on a mission to study extremophile mosses in a region identified by satellite imagery as a geothermal anomaly. After a grueling three-week trek through treacherous terrain, they breached a high-altitude ridge and descended into a valley perpetually shrouded in a warm, low-hanging mist.

"The air was different there. Warmer, humid, filled with the scent of unknown blossoms," Dr. Vidal recounted in a breathless press conference held this morning. "We rounded a cluster of crystalline rock formations, and the mist parted. That's when we saw them. It wasn't just one. It was a herd of about thirty, grazing by a geothermal spring. The world just... stopped."

The creatures defy easy description, matching mythical accounts with startling accuracy, yet possessing clear biological adaptations. Key findings from the initial field observation include:

*   **Appearance:** The animals are smaller and sturdier than a modern horse, more akin to a resilient mountain pony. Their coats are not pure white but a shimmering, pearlescent cream, providing camouflage against the valley's pale, mineral-rich rock.
*   **The Horn:** The single, spiraled horn, present in both males and females, is not made of keratin like a rhino's. Initial, non-invasive laser spectrometry suggests it is a unique bio-crystalline structure, a complex lattice of protein and absorbed silicate minerals from the valley's unique geology. The horns of mature adults appear to have a faint, internal luminescence in low light.
*   **Behavior:** The herd is exceptionally shy and highly intelligent. They are herbivores, subsisting on a unique type of phosphorescent lichen and a species of high-altitude bamboo found only within the valley. The herd appears to be matriarchal, led by a dominant female.
*   **The Valley:** The unicorn's survival is credited to their extraordinary habitat. Nicknamed "El Valle de la Neblina Eterna" (The Valley of the Eternal Mist), the location is a geological cradle. Geothermal activity creates a stable, temperate microclimate year-round, while a ring of impossibly sharp, unscalable peaks has kept the valley isolated for millennia, protecting it from outside predators and climatic shifts.

The scientific community is reeling. Dr. Ben Carter, a leading evolutionary biologist at Oxford University who was not on the expedition but has reviewed the preliminary data, called it "the single greatest biological discovery since the coelacanth, or perhaps ever."

"We have relegated this animal to storybooks," Carter stated via video link. "To find it alive, to realize that it's a real species that has evolved and survived in secret... it forces us to re-evaluate the line between folklore and natural history. How many other myths have a basis in a forgotten reality?"

The announcement has immediately triggered a crisis of conservation. The Peruvian government, in an emergency session, has declared the entire region a no-fly, no-travel "National Sanctuary of Extraordinary Biological Heritage." The exact location of the valley is now a state secret.

"Our first and most sacred duty is to protect them," a somber Dr. Vidal concluded. "We were naive to believe the world was fully explored. We have been given a gift—a glimpse into a world of magic we thought we'd lost. Now, our greatest challenge is to protect these creatures from the world that has just discovered them."

The team managed to collect DNA samples from hair snagged on bushes, and genetic sequencing is already underway. The results are expected to answer profound questions about where this impossible animal fits on the tree of life. For now, the world is left to grapple with a stunning new reality: unicorns are real.
