Help Care for Rescued Animals in Cambodia

On February 14, 2014 the Ambassador to Cambodia, William E. Todd, visited Wildlife Alliance at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) with his Ambassador’s Youth Council. Environmental protection is an issue the Ambassador and his Youth Council care about deeply, and the visit was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the important efforts being made to protect Cambodia’s endangered animals. Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC), which is set in approximately 6,000 acres of protected forest, is a government run wildlife rescue sanctuary. Wildlife Alliance works in partnership with the Forestry Administration and provides fundamental financial and technical expertise, which has developed the center into a first class establishment. For over a decade now, Wildlife Alliance has been a leader in wildlife conservation, rescuing over 56,000 animals from the illegal wildlife trade, rehabilitating over 20,000 wounded victims and reducing wildlife trade in Cambodia.

During their visit, the Ambassador and the Youth Council members met animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and learned more about the effects of wildlife trafficking. They were introduced to Chhouk, the young Asian elephant who had lost a foot to a poachers’ snare. Wildlife Alliance partnered with the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics to provide him with a prosthesis, which has changed his life completely. The Ambassador and the council members even had the opportunity to see a cast being made for Chhouk’s foot, which will be used to build a new prosthesis. Chhouk’s incredible story exemplifies the outstanding rehabilitation and care the animals at PTWRC receive. The Ambassador was extremely impressed with the work Wildlife Alliance does to protect Cambodia’s wildlife and forests, and looks forward to supporting the newly developed partnership with Wildlife Alliance and the Ambassador’s Youth Council.

Wildlife Alliance was recently selected by the US Embassy in Cambodia to run an environmental leadership program for members of the Ambassador’s Youth Council (AYC). This program aims to teach Cambodian youth leadership skills that will be transferrable to civil society, politics, and business, while instilling interest in environmental issues and forest management. Wildlife Alliance is running a program focused on environmental issues, dealing specifically with wildlife trafficking and forest preservation in Cambodia. This program is an incredible opportunity for Wildlife Alliance to expose these future leaders of Cambodia to the pressing environmental issues, as well as instill in them a desire to protect and preserve their country’s natural heritage.

Click on the link below to watch a video of the Ambassador's Visit. It is only with your support that Wildlife Alliance has been able to provide the animals at PTWRC with the care and attention they need thrive, and we are excited that our work at PTWRC continues to be recognized throughout Cambodia!

Links:

• Video of the Ambassador's Visit