Fukomys vandewoestijneae or Caroline's mole rat was first noticed in 2002 by a research team from the University of Ghent.

This new species, distinguished by a distinctive skull shape, was recently described by Paul Van Daele and his team in Zootaxa while DNA and chromosome tests confirmed its novelty.

The species was found in the Ikelenge Pedicle between the Sakeji and Zambezi rivers, a region shared by Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola.

To date 28 endemic species have come to light: one amphibian, five mammals, three butterflies, and 19 dragonflies.

The region comprises gallery forests adjacent to rivers and wetlands, and woodlands where miombo trees are dominant, the habitat of the new mole rat.