Help Rangers Protect Endangered Cambodian Wildlife

On January 13, 2016, Wildlife Alliance's forest rangers rescued an Asiatic black bear cub that was being smuggled out of the Cardamom forest. Rangers from our Southern Cardamom Forest Protection Program intercepted the trader in Thmar Bang in Koh Kong province. The 3-month old cub, weighing only 8 pounds, was taken to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center to be cared for by Free the Bears.

Sadly, sun bears and other Asian bear species are being brutally targeted by poachers in Cambodia for their body parts which are used in traditional medicine. Because of this active trade in bears and bear parts, their populations - especially in Southeast Asia – are rapidly declining. Cubs are torn from their mothers and sold into the pet trade. When they get bigger, they end up imprisoned in tiny cages or sold to bile farms in Vietnam. Wildlife Alliance has been working since 2001 to end the trade of wildlife in Cambodia and throughout Southeast Asia. Since then, over 160 trafficked bears have been rescued. However, the international demand remains high and continued efforts are needed to ensure the long-term survival of bears in region.

In the same month, the rangers also seized a truck carrying 47 tons of illegal timber. The forest ranger station advisor received a tip about a truck carrying illegal timber attempting to leave Aural Wildlife Sanctuary. The station advisor reported the information to Wildlife Alliance's Law Enforcement Manager who instructed the ranger unit to ambush the truck. To prevent the driver from being tipped off, the nearest ranger station did not conduct the operation    informants are often posted at nearby ranger stations to provide information to the drivers and prevent law enforcement from successfully confiscating the timber. Instead, rangers from a further station found the truck on the road leaving Aural Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounded the vehicle. The team found 47 tons of rosewood and other precious timber on the truck and it was taken to the station for further legal action.

Wildlife Alliance’s Southern Cardamom Forest Protection Program partners with the Cambodian government to provide on-the-ground protection to one of Asia’s last remaining elephant corridors. Our forest rangers work day and night, risking their lives to protect nearly 2 million acres of rainforest and the countless wildlife that reside in this expansive forest.

Thank you for your important contribution! Your gift makes it possible for our rangers to stop illegal loggers and wildlife poachers from removing our most precious natural rescources. 

The ultimate goal of our work is to ensure that wild animals stay wild, so we are happy to report that we are finding an increase of local wildlife in our protected forest area! Near our Wildlife Release Station, set deep in the Southern Cardamom Rainforest in Cambodia, a flock of endangered green peafowl is regularly seen, as well as crested serpent eagles and great and wreathed hornbills. Animals such as sambar, muntjac, mouse deer, wild pigs, porcupines and small predators such as leopard cats and different species of civets are increasingly being captured by our camera traps. However, the most exciting capture was in August and again in September, where we found images of a clouded leopard roaming around the tropical rainforest! The photo quality is poor, but the markings are unmistakable. These beautiful cats are gaining popularity in commercial markets, and are increasingly being hunted for their unique spotted fur. Clouded leopards are particularly difficult to breed in captivity, suggesting that the majority are poached from the wild. Evidence of a clouded leopard population in the Southern Cardamoms makes it imperative for us to continue to provide critical protection to their habitat.

Wildlife Alliance has turned the Southern Cardamoms into a safe haven for these animals – eco lodges have been built so that tourists can see firsthand these animals in their natural habitat, and community rangers have been employed from nearby villages to provide added security. By actively engaging the local community, we can ensure the protection of the surrounding forest and wildlife. This year, the community ranger program has been strengthened with a new Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Chi Phat Police Station that allows for police officers to join the community rangers on their patrols. The officers will have legal authorization to arrest hunters and seize evidence, making the rangers even more effective.

Constant vigilance is the cost of keeping the Southern Cardamom forest safe and maintaining its high level of biodiversity. At only $105 a patrol, the added protection these community rangers provide is invaluable. Thank you for supporting our ranger programs this year, and helping us keep wildlife wild! Your gifts allow us to conduct wildlife releases with increased confidence and ensure the safety of the growing local wildlife population. And don’t forget to stay at our eco lodge on your next vacation. Click here to book a room today!