Endangered birds face extinction amid economic land concessions [-Soon, even Tuol Krasaing will be given out as land concession!]

Cambodia’s critically endangered national bird, the Giant Ibis, pictured in the remote Western Siem Pang forest in Stung Treng province. Photograph: Eleanor Briggs/Phnom Penh Post

Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Rosa Ellen and Claire Knox
The Phnom Penh Post

Economic land concessions strewn over the remote Western Siem Pang forest, in Stung Treng province, are threatening the survival of Cambodia’s national bird, the giant ibis, a report reveals.

The forest, flanking the Kingdom’s border with Laos, is home to five critically endangered bird species, yet its ecosystem is in danger of devastation, according to a 10-year report from conservation group BirdLife International Cambodia, which documents the extent of the region’s biodiversity and its role in providing a crucial habitat for globally threatened species.

“You can see in my report all the species of birds that face extinction,” Bou Vorsak, program manager at the BirdLife International Cambodia Program, said.

Land concessions threaten endangered bird species

សត្វ​ស្លាប​នៅ​តំបន់​ព្រែក​ទាល់ បឹង​ទន្លេ​សាប កាល​ពី​ខែ​មិថុនា​​។ រូបថត ហេង ជី​វ័ន

ការ​ផ្តល់​ដី​សម្បទាន​គំរាម​កំហែង​សត្វ​បក្សី​ដែល​ជិត​ផុត​ពូជ

Monday, 17 September 2012
Rosa Ellen and Claire Knox
ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

ស្ទឹងត្រែងៈ ការ​ផ្តល់​ដី​សម្បទាន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ទៅ​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​ឯកជន នៅ​តំបន់​ព្រៃ​សៀមប៉ាង ភាគ​ខាង​លិច​ខេត្ត​ស្ទឹងត្រែង កំពុង​តែ​គំរាម​កំហែង ដល់​សត្វ​បក្សី​ត្រយង​យក្ស (Giant Ibis) ​ដ៏​កម្រ​របស់​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា ដែល​ជា​បក្សី​ជិត​វិនាស​ផុត​ពូជ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពិភពលោក។​ នេះ​បើ​តាម​របាយការណ៍​ទើប​តែ​ចេញ​ផ្សាយ​ថ្មី​មួយ​របស់​អង្គការ​សត្វ​ស្លាប ​អន្តរជាតិ​ ប្រចាំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា​។

របាយការណ៍​ដែល​មាន​រយៈ​ពេល​ ១០​ ឆ្នាំ ចេញ​ពី​​អង្គការ​ជីវិត​សត្វ​ស្លាប​អន្តរជាតិ ​ប្រចាំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា មាន​ទំហំ​ពេញលេញ ចំពោះ​ការ​សិក្សា​ ពី​ជីវសាស្ត្រ​នៅ​តំបន់​នោះ និង​ការ​ដើរ​តួនាទី​របស់​ខ្លួន​ ដើម្បី​ជួយ​ការពារ​ពពួក​សត្វ​ ដែល​កំពុង​តែ​ត្រូវ​បាន​គំរាម​កំហែង ជិត​ផុត​ពូជ​នៅ​លើ​ភព​ផែនដី​នេះ​។

Vultures rebound in Cambodia; only Asian country with rising population

This 'venue' of vultures (a group of vultures can also be called a 'committee' or a 'wake') in this image includes slender billed (l), white-rumped (m), and red-headed vultures (r), all of which have persisted in Cambodia while other vulture populations in Asia have all but vanished. Photo credit: Hugh Wright. Caption: WCS

September 02, 2010
mongabay.com

The number of threatened vultures in Cambodia is on the rise according to a new survey by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other members of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project.

The annual census found 296 birds among the country's three vulture species: the white-rumped, red-headed, and slender billed. The population of the latter two species were flat since the 2009 tally, but the white-rumped vulture population rose. All three vulture species are listed as “Critically Endangered” by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

Cambodia is now the only country in Asia where vulture populations are increasing. WCS explains: Vulture populations in Southeast Asia are primarily threatened by the declining number of large herbivores in the region, but have been largely unaffected by a far greater threat to Asia’s vultures: the veterinary drug diclofenac. Widely used as an anti-inflammatory drug for cattle in South Asia, diclofenac is toxic to vultures, causing death through renal failure and visceral gout to birds that feed on the cattle carcasses and has led to global population declines higher than 99 percent in some vulture species.

WCS says the vulture population in Cambodia is rebounding as a the result of several programs organized by the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project. Localy commmunities are paid to protect vulture nests, while vulture food sources are supplemented by ‘vulture restaurants,’ feeding stations that also provide an opportunity to see the birds.

“By protecting nests and supplementing food supplies, we are saving some of the world’s largest and most charismatic birds,” stated Dr. Hugo Rainey, WCS technical advisor to the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project. “Nowhere else in Asia do vultures have such a promising future.”

Still the conservation group is cautious. It says rising pesticide use for agriculture, which is shifting from small-holder to industrial operations, is a new threat.

"There have been increasing numbers of poisoned birds recently," said Song Chansocheat, Ministry of Environment and WCS Vulture Project Manager, in a statement. "Educating people about the risk to wildlife and people from incorrect use of poisons is important."

Western Siem Pang - Land of the Giants

Giant Ibis (James Eaton/ Birdtour Asia, from the surfbirds galleries)

April 15, 2010
Surfbird News

Western Siem Pang in Cambodia is one of the few sites in the world that supports five Critically Endangered bird species. It is perhaps best known as the home of the world's largest population of White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davidsoni. However, its importance for another species of ibis is now becoming clear.

A recent BirdLife survey team recorded an astonishing 16 Giant Ibis Thaumatibis gigantea over a ten day period during a rapid survey of the western sector of the site.

"At the height of the dry season one would expect a greater encounter rate as Giant Ibis along with other wildlife become concentrated at seasonal wetlands (trapeangs) in the forest and grasslands, but to record so many birds in such a short period from such a small area suggests the population at Western Siem Pang is much larger than we previously thought", said Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager for BirdLife International in Indochina.

This is good news for Giant Ibis, Cambodia's national bird, which has an estimated global population of only 200 individuals. The global range of Giant Ibis has shrunk and it now only occurs in southern Laos and northern Cambodia.

Giant Ibis has declined as a result of hunting, wetland drainage for agriculture, and deforestation. The destruction of dry dipterocarp forest and the associated wetlands in Thailand and Vietnam during the 20th Century, lead to its extinction in those countries and the same processes continue in Cambodia.

It relies on seasonal pools, which in the past were created by the now much depleted megafauna. The species appears to be very sensitive to human disturbance, particularly during the dry season when birds are concentrated around available waterholes, and this is almost certainly the greatest threat, rendering much apparantly suitable habitat unusable.

"The Giant Ibis shuns people", continued Eames, "it is a magnificent bird, that with its evocative call, will only be saved from global extinction when more people recognise that the economic values of the dry dipterocarp forests of Cambodia extend beyond cassava plantations and poorly conceived biofuel projects."

New bird count finds more rare ibises in Cambodia

Thursday, August 27
AP

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – A new bird census has found that Cambodia is home to more endangered white-shouldered ibises than had been thought were in existence worldwide, three conservation organizations said Wednesday.

A joint statement from BirdLife International, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature said 310 of the wading birds were found in the country's north and northeast during research carried out in July.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, had estimated this year that from 50 to 249 mature white-shouldered ibises were in existence worldwide, making the species critically endangered.

Hugh Wright, a PhD student at Britain's University of East Anglia who has been leading the research for 18 months, said there was a good chance that the actual population exceeded 310.

"Nevertheless, it is unlikely that the population has increased or is recovering, instead we are just starting to make more effort to count them and searching in more places," he said.

The statement did not mention any plans to expand their research.

The birds, considered endangered by the World Conservation Union, have a dark plumage with a pale blue collar and an off-white patch on the forewings, according to the Web site of the IUCN. They are found mainly in Cambodia although they were once common in other Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia, it said.

The statement said that it was not yet clear why the bird's numbers have been in decline in the last few decades, "although hunting and habitat destruction are likely to have played a part." It said they will conduct a new count in Cambodia in September.

War and conservation in Cambodia

Bokor National Park, Cambodia. Heavily armed forestry rangers and their Australian security consultant arrest a poacher with an endangered Hog Badger during a night patrol. TRAFFIC Asia 2006. Photo by: Adam Oswell with WWF.
The Kouprey Bos sauveli, a species of wild ox. Illustration by: Helmut Diller.
The Asian elephant has been hunted out of the forest around Sre Chis. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
Critically Endangered Siamese crocodile in Thailand: the species has disappeared from the Sri Chis forests. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
While tigers still reside in the forest around Sri Chis, their population has declined according to interviews. Photo by: Martin Harvey with WWF.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia. An anti-wildlife trade billboard outside a local school. Part of a government education program that aims to educate Cambodians about the country's wildlife laws. TRAFFIC Asia 2006. Photo by: Adam Oswell of WWF.

June 21, 2009
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com

The decades-long conflict in Cambodia devastated not only the human population of the Southeast Asian country but its biodiversity as well. The conflict led to widespread declines of species in the once wildlife-rich nation while steering traditional society towards unsustainable hunting practices, resulting in a situation where wildlife is still in decline in Cambodia, according to a new study from researchers with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Although many biodiversity hotspots have seen their share of conflict—the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia, Vietnam—the relationship between war and conservation has rarely been studied. Social scientist Michael Mascia with WWF and Colby Loucks, Deputy Director of the WWF's Conservation Science Program interviewed Cambodian villagers to understand the impacts of war on village’s surrounding wilderness.

“Armed conflict is a social phenomenon often detrimental to wildlife and wildlife habitat, but the legacy of armed conflict for wildlife in post-conflict settings remains unexplored,” Loucks and Mascia, along with other authors, write in their paper published in Conservation Letters.

Since scientific data for wildlife abundance in Cambodia was lacking, Loucks and Mascia depended on the knowledge of locals in the Sre Chis commune, a collection of six villages in eastern Kratie province. Asking the interviewees about 18 different species, the researchers found that the decades-long conflict in Cambodia caused deep-declines in wildlife abundance, the loss of some species altogether, and moved the society from subsistence hunting to commercial exploitation.

“We looked at how conflict directly and indirectly shaped people’s use of wildlife – during and after conflict. The influx of guns, the emergence of new markets, the forced hunting teams – all were directly related to conflict. It was the conflict, lastly, for well over two decades that created the environment for permanent shifts in livelihoods to the dependence on the trade of wildlife,” Loucks and Mascia told mongabay.com

Wildlife declined from pre-1953 (when the conflict began) to 2005, but the most measured declines occurred in the 1970s—when the conflict was at its worst. The researchers found that 14 of 18 species declined, while five disappeared altogether, including the Asian elephant, the kouprey, Eld’s deer, hog deer, and Siamese crocodile. Before the conflict arrived in Sre Chis, the villagers only sold one species to outside markets—the guar—but by the 1970s seven more species were being trafficked: elephants, banteng, Eld’s deer, hog deer, tiger, leopard and sun bear.

“It is clear to [the villagers] that there are fewer individuals of the species…and that they need to go further from the villages to find them,” Loucks said.

Shockingly every one of these species (or subspecies) is threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List, except the Indochinese leopard which hasn’t been surveyed. The sun bear is considered Vulnerable, while the Indochinese tiger, Asian elephant, Eld’s deer, and hog deer are all listed as Endangered. The Siamese crocodile, the banteng, a species of wild cattle, and a wild ox known as the kouprey are each Critically Endangered.

As related by Loucks and Mascia, these declines consistently followed societal changes brought on by war: additional firearms, the beginning of a wildlife trade for international markets, and a Khmer Rouge policy that actually mandated hunting. Prior to the 1970s villagers hunted with the crossbow, since guns were either illegal or difficult to obtain, but when the Khmer Rouge came to Sre Chis they handed out guns to locals and paid them to hunt. During the conflict, wildlife meat went to soldier on the front lines.

The conflict in Cambodia ended in 1991, but the interviewers discovered that wildlife declines continued due to the technological and social changes brought on by war. Instead of hunting for soldiers, the villagers had now begun to hunt for commercial sale in markets both in Cambodia and abroad.

“Documenting these impacts and the subsequent ripple effects in post-conflict society – shifting livelihood strategies and the decline of wildlife – allow us to understand the links between conflict and wildlife decline,” Loucks and Mascia said. “This sheds light on the importance of re-engaging with communities, empowering them to manage their resources, and providing economic opportunities soon after the cessation of conflict. With this information, we can design more effective conservation strategies, tailored to local conditions.”

Importance of conservation to postconflict society

The UN has drafted important guidelines for ‘disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration’ of combatants (known as DDR), but they don’t take into account the conservation of natural resources, according to Loucks and Mascia. Even though many conflicts begin with—or in some way involve—over-exploitation of a nation’s resources.

Therefore the authors suggest “that conservation investments in postconflict societies should be integrated within and support broader peace-building efforts targeting combatants, noncombatants, civil society organizations, and the state”.

Mascia goes on to say that “many conservation strategies are consistent with current approaches to peace-building, such as capacity-building for government agencies and local communities, fostering good governance and rule of law, and promoting alternative livelihoods and income generating activities. In societies where natural resources are a source of conflict, strengthening civil society and good governance in the environmental sector is necessary not just for effective conservation of biodiversity, but for peace-building generally.”

Loucks and Mascia see conservation as a tool to aid with disarmament in postconflict society by justifying confiscating weapons when used for illegal hunting. In addition, conservation organization act as important support for newly formed governments by “promoting rule of law; encouraging participatory and transparent decision making; and supporting other activities that foster good governance within the conservation sector and beyond,” according to the paper.

Furthermore, the authors argue, conservation groups have the capacity to monitor postconflict efforts to make certain both individuals and large-scale investments are not engaging in unsustainable natural resource exploitation. Instead of handing such postconflict countries over to international corporations for large-scale monoculture plantations, industrial agriculture or mining—which may degrade the environment and stoke further conflict—conservation organizations could manage environmental restoration projects.

Such restoration projects “would serve multiple purposes” the authors write, including “employment of both ex-combatants and noncombatants, enhanced delivery of ecosystem services to resource-dependent communities, critical habitat for wildlife, and reduced wildlife trade by providing alternative sources of income.”

Finally, the authors recommend that conservation groups be allowed to perform capacity-building at the community level in order to reach out to remote areas, places where a new government may not have influence or even means of communication. According to the paper, such programs “can empower local actors and strengthen local governance regimes, absorb ex-combatants into the labor force, and provide legal economic opportunities for ex-combatants and noncombatants alike.”

The people—not just the wildlife—of post-conflict nations would benefit greatly from increased conservation and environmental awareness, according to the paper.

“We believe that the UN, governments, civil society, and NGOs all have a role they can play to integrate natural resource conservation, biodiversity protection, and peace-building efforts from the local to national or global scale. To design conservation strategies that are both ecologically and socially sustainable, we need to build tailored solutions that bridge the traditional divide between security and the environment.” Loucks and Mascia told mongabay.com.

Critically endangered vulture saved from poisoning

WCS veterinarian Dr. Priscilla Joyner (right) and bird bander Helen Ward (left) examine one of the white-rumped vultures Photo credit: Allan Michaud.
WCS conservationist Angela Yang holds a rare-white rumped vulture, one of two birds that survived a poisoning incident in Cambodia’s Stung Treng province. Photo credit: Allan Michaud.

March 19, 2009
Jeremy Hance
Mongabay.com

Seven critically-endangered white-rumped vultures were found dead in Cambodia after feeding on the corpse of a poisoned buffalo. Two survivors however were also apart of the group. An adult and a juvenile that had fed on the poisoned buffalo were sick but alive. The pair was sent to a veterinary clinic in Phnom Penh to be cared for by staff from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB).

The adult responded quickly to treatment and after being tagged for later identification was rereleased into the wild. The juvenile vulture is still being treated.

“Vulture populations across Asia have plummeted,” said Hugo Rainey, WCS Technical Advisor to the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project. “Every bird that we can save is important not only for vulture species, but for the ecosystems that rely on these birds as critical scavengers.”

Considered one of the most abundant birds of prey in the world at one time, the white-rumped vulture experienced precipitous declines beginning in the 1990s largely due to the anti-inflammatory cattle drug diclofenac. The drug proved effective in cattle but caused renal failure and mortality in any vulture that fed on the cow corpses which still retained the drug. Populations of white-rumped vultures dropped a staggering 95 percent and have yet to recover.

Cambodia is one of the last strongholds for the species. However, even here the white-rumped vulture is not without threats—for example feeding on a wild buffalo which had been poisoned by hunters. Fortunately the vulture is being monitored closely in Cambodia, which led to the rescue of at least one individual.

WCS is a member of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project, which was established the country by the government and several NGOS in 2004 to save the ailing species.

Blog: 'The bachelor' in Cambodia

Dara takes a dip: Its hoped his species of hairy-nosed otters will see an upturn in numbers.

Fri September 5, 2008
By CNN's Eunice Yoon

(CNN) -- When you first meet Dara, you can't help but fall for him.

He's cute, lovable, and managed to charm my entire crew when we visited him outside the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

OK. Dara isn't a hunky bachelor with his own reality TV show but a hairy-nosed otter who arguably has a higher calling: To revive his species from the verge of extinction.

If only he could find a wife.

Dara is the first of his kind to be bred in captivity as part of a plan by conservationists and Cambodian officials to save the hairy-nosed otter.

Up until the 1990's, it was believed the rare otter was extinct, driven into history by poachers who hunted -- and still hunt -- otters for their smooth, water-resistant fur pelts.

These pelts are sold on the black market for $150 a skin and shipped to countries such as China where the fur is used in traditional costumes.

Conservationists told us the underground trade of exotic animals is thriving and leading to what they call "empty forests".

They say certain species of turtles, bears, otters, and other wildlife are getting harder to find as the animals and their parts are illegally trafficked via third countries such as Vietnam.

Many of the animals are valued for medicinal purposes. Others are just kept as pets.

Even Dara was being kept at a home in a fishing village at the Tonle Sap Lake before he was rescued by local rangers.

Dara now lives in his enclosure at the zoo where he eagerly awaits the arrival of any female hairy-nosed otter.

Conservationists aren't sure animal rescue workers will ever find him a partner.

But even if they don't, Dara, whose name means "precious" or "star" in the Cambodian language, is already using his star power better than your average TV heartthrob -- by raising awareness of the need to protect his species.

Rare plants and endangered species at risk from traditional medicine in Cambodia and Vietnam

ANI (India)

Washington, July 2 : Two new reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, have suggested that rare plants and endangered species such as tigers are at risk from traditional medicine in Cambodia and Vietnam.

The reports determine that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable harvesting is depleting the region's rich and varied biodiversity and putting the primary healthcare resource of millions at risk.

The results of field studies carried out between 2005 and 2007 found that a significant number of Cambodians and Vietnamese rely on traditional medicine.

Relaxation of international trade barriers, the impact of free market economies and complex national government policies have led to an increase in the demand and supply for flora and fauna used in traditional medicine.

The growing illegal wildlife trade in the region is fuelled by the difficulty of sourcing prescribed ingredients, including parts, from globally threatened species.

"The supply of many wild animals and plants for medicine in Cambodia and Vietnam is becoming scarce due to overexploitation," said Crawford Allan, TRAFFIC's director in North America. "Some of the trade is illegal and threatening endangered species," he added.

According to Allan, "In Vietnam, we estimate between 5-10 tiger skeletons are sold annually to be used in traditional medicine. With each skeleton fetching approximately 20,000 dollars, there is a strong incentive to poach and trade tigers that we must address from the grassroots up."

A report titled "An overview of the use and trade of plants and animals in traditional medicine systems in Cambodia" examined the use of wildlife products in Traditional Khmer Medicine and its possible impacts.

Over 800 types of plants, approximately 35 percent of the country's native species, are used in Traditional Khmer Medicine.

Eight of those plants species are considered high priority for national conservation.

The report presents the findings of traditional medicine market surveys conducted in north and south Vietnam, where more than 3,900 species of flora and 400 species of fauna are used in traditional remedies.

Seventy-one of the animals traded and used for medicinal purposes in Vietnam are listed on the IUCN Red List of globally threatened species.

"Traditional medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam are important components of both national healthcare systems, and are often the only means of healthcare for rural communities," said Dekila Chungyalpa, manager of the Mekong Ecoregion Program at WWF-US.

"Understanding which animal and plant species and products are used and traded, and their underlying trade mechanisms, can provide a useful tool to assess the sustainability of such trade, and provide an 'early warning' for species that are threatened," he added.

Go on Vacation, Save an Ecosystem

Villagers who live in floating villages around the lake get around in boats like these at the village of Prek Toal. (Courtesy Lisa Schroeder)
Ecotours around the Prek Toal bird sanctuary provide lists of bird species worth watching out for. (Courtesy Lisa Schroeder)
The gray-headed fish-eagle is still endangered. (Courtesy Lisa Schroeder)

Endangered Species in Cambodia Are Turning Around, Thanks to Unlikely Heroes: Tourists

April 2, 2008
By LISA SCHROEDER
ABC News (USA)

For decades, some of Cambodia's poorest people  residents of the northern village of Tmatboey  hunted birds as a means to survive. And so these Southeast Asian birds, like the white-shouldered and giant ibis, slowly dwindled toward extinction.

But in 2004 the area became a government-protected wildlife preserve. Hunting became illegal, and villagers needed something else to sustain their livelihoods.

Enter the unlikely hero: tourists. Now Tmatboey villagers are earning a good wage hunting birds with binoculars, not weapons.

Eco-bird watching tours around Tmatboey are facilitated through the Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation (SVC), one of several ecotourism projects that have been quietly growing since the late 1990s, when Cambodia emerged from three decades of war and began to focus on the preservation of its fragile ecosystem.

SVC started its ecotourism project by educating villagers about the importance of the wildlife. "If you don't hunt the birds, people will come to see them and pay you for your services," was the message, says Karen Nielsen, the ecotourism development coordinator.

It's been so successful that former hunters are now employed as rangers or guides. They take pride in showing the birds to tourists because the project has bettered their standard of living. "In the 2006-2007 season, they made over $7,000," Nielsen says. Considering many Cambodians live on less than 50 cents per day, this is a substantial difference.

Another plus: the rebounding of the white-shouldered ibis and the stabilization of the population of the giant ibis  Cambodia's national bird and one of the most sought-after sightings by international bird watchers.

The SVC facility itself sits on a quiet, unpaved road in the city of Siem Reap, whose popular Angkor Wat temples now draw even more tourists. According to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, Siem Reap attracts more than a million visitors per year, and the number of hotels has grown from around 70 in 2004 to a projected 150.

While tourists now fuel the economy of Siem Reap, bringing in tens of millions of dollars a year and generating thousands of new jobs, this growth in visitors is also creating environmental problems like unregulated sewage, trash and pollution.

This lack of environmental responsibility is what the SVC and other ecotourist organizations hope to offset.

Tonle Sap: The Disappearing Lake Experience

A half-hour from Siem Reap is Chong Khneas, a village on the northeast shores of Tonle Sap Lake that most tourists just pass through on the boat ride up from capital Phnom Penh.

But nestled among the stilted wooden shacks is the Gecko Center (short for Greater Environment Chong Khneas Office), where curious off-the-beaten-path types can get a backstage pass to the lake's unique rise and fall during the wet and dry seasons, as well as its fragile ecosystem.

During the dry season the lake shrinks 75 percent, exposing trees and ground  basically a forest that looks like any other. But during the wet season, the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers swell and reverse direction, filling out the lake and flooding the forest until only leafy treetops remain above water. The problems of illegal fishing and overfishing, as well as pollution and cross-border dams, still threaten the lake's existence.

As in other areas of the country, many of the lake's poor villagers poached bird eggs and chicks in order to survive, which began endangering species. But a French organization called Osmose has introduced ecotourism on the lake, and former poachers now work as guides.

Eco-Tours in the Floating Village

Just a two-hour boat ride west from Chong Khneas across the lake is the floating village of Prek Toal and the government-protected bird sanctuary. For optimal bird viewing times in early morning or dusk, visitors can stay overnight at the Prek Toal environmental station for a nominal fee.

Once inside the bird sanctuary, tourists spot rare and endangered birds not seen in any other parts of the world, including the painted stork, the spot-billed pelican and the grey-headed fish-eagle.

Like the guides of Tmatboey, years of poaching have made the rangers experts at uncovering wildlife. According to Osmose ecotourism developer Nick Butler, "They knew where the nests were, and they knew what time of year the birds would lay eggs."

But now that they're earning a better wage, poaching has almost been eliminated. And so far this eight-year conservation program has been a success. Many of the bird species  still endangered, but now protected  are making a comeback.

For example, Butler points to the Oriental darter, whose population improved eight-fold from 2002 to 2005. But, he also warns, "it's been a localized success story, [and the fate of the birds and the lake is] still very much in the balance."

Ecotourism in Cambodia is still "very much in its infancy," adds Butler. "It's a few small operations dotted around the country with no real coordination."

But since the Ministry of Tourism projects the number of tourists will double or triple in the coming years, Nick Butler and Karen Nielsen hope that ecotourism will mirror that growth.

More Information:

www.samveasna.org
http://jinja.apsara.org/gecko
www.osmosetonlesap.net/en/index.html

Endangered pangolins rescued from Cambodian bus

Tue, 04 Mar 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodian customs officials acting on a tip rescued eight endangered pangolins from a bus in the central province of Pursat, local media reported Tuesday. The rescued animals weighed a total of 22.7 kilograms and included a 5-kilogram female which had just given birth to a healthy baby, the Kampuchea Thmey daily reported.

The paper said the scaly anteaters had been packed in boxes and concealed with paper. The smuggler escaped, it reported, and the animals were handed over to forestry officials for release.

Pangolin blood is believed by some to have strong medicinal qualities and wildlife experts say there is a strong illegal trade in them into neighbouring Vietnam and China for use in traditional medicine.

More than 150 Cambodian turtles rescued from becoming dinner

30.01.08
DPA

Scores of Cambodian turtles described as "endangered" have been rescued from the near-certain fate of a dinner plate and released back into the wild, local media reported Wednesday.

The English-language Cambodia Daily reported 169 turtles in the central province of Pursat, 200 kilometres north-west of the capital, were released into the Tonle Sap lake after being confiscated from local fishermen.

The paper did not specify what species was released, but described them as "threatened." Local fisheries officials were not available for further comment Wednesday.

"People love to eat turtles," the paper quoted a government official as saying.

Despite a concerted government education programme and an increasing number of Cambodian turtle species being declared endangered, roasted turtle and turtle eggs remain local delicacies, especially in the lead-up to Chinese New Year.

Getting it right

A Cambodian bird-watching venture helps conserve the species and benefit the locals.

Saturday October 27, 2007
Stories by LEONG SIOK HUI
The Star (Malaysia)

It’s 4.30am and pitch dark as we slosh through wet and mucky trails with our headlamps lighting the way.

Loud, raucous croaks from cavorting frogs drown the pitter-patter of our footsteps. Our feet sink into soft mud as we wade through knee-deep water a couple of times.

Deb Kem Oum, the deputy committee chief of Tmatboey’s ecotourism project.

As dawn breaks, a vista of rolling grassland unfolds in front us. After an hour’s trudge, our guide suddenly stops. We tiptoe to him and voilà, about 100m away, high on a tree, we see a Giant Ibis sitting regally in her nest.

Looking through a telescope, I can see its dark plumage, naked greyish head and a long, slightly curved beak.

So what’s the fuss?

Well, the Giant Ibis is one of South-East Asia’s rarest bird species and, in the last century, the bird has rarely been spotted. Scientists say the bird became extinct in Thailand 30 years ago. The Ibis holds a near-mythical status among bird-aficionados, naturalists and conservationists.

And as bird-watcher John Howes quips: “You’re probably one of the first Malaysians to see a Giant Ibis in the last few decades.”

Ecotourism in Khmer country

I am in Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Province with Kuala Lumpur-based conservation group, Wild Asia and its team of responsible tourism assessors: Rick Gregory and Howes.

Wild Asia is here to check out the Tmatboey ecotourism project, one of the two finalists in the Community- or Family-Run Homestays category in Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards 2007.

Wildlife Conservation Society’s Ashish Joshia Ingty John.

Tmatboey is a remote village with a population of about 185 families in the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Cambodia, an area dubbed the Northern Plains. Traditionally, the villagers lived off rice farming, fishing, forest products and wildlife poaching.

After years of civil war, Cambodia finally threw its doors open to scientists and conservationists in 2000. New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) then discovered a large remaining patch of deciduous tropical lowland forest, grassland and seasonal wetlands – home to a huge variety of water birds and large mammals – in the Northern Plains.

These forests have long disappeared from Thailand and Vietnam. To the scientists’ delight, many of South-East Asia’s rarest species like the Giant Ibis, White-Shouldered Ibis, White-Rumped Vulture (all listed as Critically Endangered under IUCN) and (Globally Threatened) species like the Eastern Sarus Crane and the White-Winged Duck thrive here.

Tmatboey was thrust into the limelight when conservationists identified it as a crucial site for the two Ibis species.

With the help of WCS Cambodia programme and Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment, a group of Tmatboey villagers launched an ecotourism project in 2004 where tourism revenue would be used to conserve the bird population.

John Howes and Sang Mony spotting a bird.

Local guides lead bird-watchers to spot the birds and villagers provide full room and board. Cambodia-based conservation group, Sam Veasna Center (SVC) for Wildlife Conservation was roped in to promote the site and train the guides.

Helping people and birds

A five-hour trundle in a 4WD through muddy potholes and flooded roads took us to Tmatboey. Until early 2007, guests stayed in a villager’s house. On our visit in early September, wooden chalets were being built on a site about 10 minutes’ stroll from the village.

A village ecotourism committee (nine members elected by the community) manages the site – they run the chalets, provide room and board, local guides and ensure tourism profits benefit the community.

“WCS’s role is to help the community develop an alternative livelihood (from ecotourism) that minimises impact on natural resources (the forests), helps the community manage their land-use efficiently (agriculture) and conserve the birds,” says Ashish Joshia Ingty John, WCS’s community conservation management advisor, who accompanied us to Tmatboey.

“We view the community not as a problem but an integral part of the solution (for conservation),” he says.

WCS works in more than 60 countries and helps governments with scientific research and long-term management of conservation areas.

If you spot the Ibises, you fork out an extra US$30 (RM101) that goes towards supporting local projects. In return, the community makes a pact not to disturb or harm the birds.

Home in Tmatboey: A typical village house.

“Prior to this ecotourism venture, if the farmers found a Giant Ibis (their size is similar to a small turkey), they would have killed it for dinner,” admits Ashish, who was previously involved with community development work in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, for eight years. Over the years, WCS has pumped in about US$100,000 (RM337,000) into the project.

The fruits of their labour

Since 2004, tourist arrivals to Tmatboey have shot up by 35%. In 2006/07, the village committee took over the project from WCS. A total of 78 tourists visited Tmatboey last season and generated US$6,000 (RM20,000) in earnings for the villagers. Out of that, US$2,220 (RM7,500) was used for building roads and six wells (the main source of water supply for the community).

Like his fellow villagers, farmer Deb Kem Oum makes an average of US$150 (RM505)-US$200 (RM673) a year from the sale of rice, pigs, chickens and forest products (like resin-tapping). As a bird guide and the project’s deputy committee chief, Deb, 42, made US$85 (RM290) last year. The money was used for buying school supplies for his children, healthcare and food.

“Aside from the extra income, I picked up many new skills like drawing up proposals for village projects, handling the accounts and learning how to be a guide,” says Deb through our interpreter, Hout Piseth, who works for the Ministry of Environment.

“I also had to do some research to locate the birds, their nests and roosting areas and learn to identify the birds.

“Before this project, we (the villagers) didn’t know the value of wildlife and the importance of preserving them and their habitat,” adds Deb. “Now we also understand things like the impact of rubbish pollution.”

The good news is the bird population is on the increase.

“In 2002/03, there was only a pair of White-Shouldered Ibis at Tmatboey. In 2006/07, it increased to four pairs. The most recent sighting early this year indicated at least five to six pairs of these birds,” says Ashish, who’s from India.

“The Giant Ibis population has stabilised due to less poaching and destruction of their habitats,” he adds.

The challenges ahead

The whole idea of tourism, managing resources and conservation are radical concepts for the villagers. But they are taking everything in their stride, one day at a time.

“One of my main challenges is trying to juggle between farming, running the lodge and guiding the tourists,” admits Deb.

“For the villagers to think they can earn more money from tourism and to take time from their daily chores is difficult for them to conceive at this point,” chips in Ashish.

“We need more tourists to come and convince the community that it’s worth it.”

If the villagers have enough funds in 2007/08, they plan to hire a teacher to teach English.

A bright future

“We try to make the villagers feel the birds belong to them and instil a sense of pride and ownership. So even if the ecotourism venture fails, at least the birds will be protected,” says Ashish.

“Tmatboey is now a model for other communities in Cambodia. It defines a new relationship between people and wildlife that respects the rights of both and allows for mutual co-existence,” he sums up.

The writer’s trip was courtesy of Wild Asia and Malaysia Airlines.

Book a bird tour

• SAM VEASNA CENTER FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION (SVC)
• E-mail: info@samveasna.org or bookings@samveasna.org
• Website: www.samveasna.org
• A typical 4D/3N package costs US$450/RM per person, based on four pax. Price decreases with more people. Trips can be tailored-made.
• The ideal bird-watching season is during the dry season, from November to May. Giant Ibises nest from July-November, while the White-Shouldered Ibises nest from December-March.

A birder’s joy

The rare Giant Ibis found in Northern Cambodia. — ALLAN MICHAUD

Saturday October 27, 2007
By LEONG SIOK HUI
The Star (Malaysia)

For bird enthusiast John Howes, seeing the rare Giant Ibis was an out-of-this-world experience for him.

“It’s amazing!This is something I had thought about for 20 years,” says Howes, 44, an ecologist and an advisor to Wild Asia.

“It was very hard because I wanted to show some emotion, but we were about 100m away from the bird’s nest and I thought it important to respect the bird.

“Most people would have been hooting, hollering or slapping highfives,” adds Howes.

“Deep down, however, I was like: ‘Wow! This is it...it’s fantastic!”

Howes first heard about Tmatboey in 2003 when he was working on a project in Cambodia. Waves of excitement swept through the birding community when news of sightings of the bird spread.

“Up till that time, everybody thought this bird was already extinct or in such low numbers that the chances of finding them was remote,” explains Howes of Wales who has been birding for over two decades in South-East and East Asia.

Some of his Phnom Penh-based friends went to see the birds with the help of the villagers. A year later, another Critically Endangered species, the White-Shouldered Ibis, was spotted in the same area.

“This place became like a ‘pilgrimage’ for most birders I know,” adds Howes who’s been based in Malaysia for 20 years.

For over four days in Tmatboey, Howes spotted 60 bird species including eight species of woodpecker, the Rufous-Winged Buzzard, Spotted Owlet and an awesome flock of six White-Shouldered Ibises. But Howes isn’t obsessed with “ticking off the list”.

“I’m more interested in studying bird behaviour and how they relate to their environment,” says Howes.

The Tmatboey trip is Howes’ first guided bird tour. Usually, he prefers independent bird-watching trips where he can freely explore an area. Yet, he made an exception for Tmatboey.

“It’s an area where you have no trail and you could get lost. And these are unique birds where every nest is so precious and cannot be disturbed,” says Howes.

The guides’ dedication and zest impressed Howes, considering that only four years ago, the birds were considered food.

“The guides are amazing. Everyday, they were out since dawn and walked miles and miles to find the birds for us because they wanted to please their clients,” says Howes.

“They have a very intimate knowledge of the habitat and navigate easily through a pretty standard-looking forest.

“They knew the bird calls, had the right idea about how near you could get to the bird or its nest, and were able to articulate their knowledge through Mony (our English-speaking guide from SVC),” adds Howes.

“But it was more just seeing the birds — I enjoyed the whole experience; visiting the village, interacting with the locals and eating local food.”

And Howes is satisfied with the lodge’s basic facilities. The chalets come with fans and attached bathrooms. But there’s no hot shower.

“Most people I know who want to see these birds will be prepared to sleep in the open with a mosquito net,” says Howes.

“Anyone going to Tmatboey who complains about food and lodging shouldn’t be travelling in South-East Asia.”

But Howes suggests that perhaps the guides should do an introductory session for the birders before taking them out into the field.

“They can tell the groups the dos and don’ts, brief them on the trail conditions and what to bring,” says Howes.

“And it’s important to keep tabs on the area’s carrying-capacity and limit the number of visitors.

“It’s good not to swamp them with everything too soon. Give them five more years, the community will see more benefits,” says Howes optimistically.

“I think they’re already doing a great job!”

Bird, monkey species in Cambodia added to critically endangered list

September 19, 2007

Two types of birds and one species of monkey native to Cambodia have had their survival prospects worsen significantly in the past year, according to the World Conservation Union's 2007 "Red List", the most comprehensive annual assessment of the world's endangered animals and plants, local media reported Wednesday.

The red-headed vulture and the Bengal florican, once abundant in Cambodia, have been re-classified as critically endangered, meaning they face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future, the Cambodia Daily newspaper said.

Meanwhile, the douc monkey has also been elevated to endangered status worldwide, according to the World Conservation Union, or IUCN.

Recent worldwide declines in the population of red-headed vultures are believed mainly to have been caused by the pharmaceutical Diclofenac, which is used to treat livestock but toxic to vultures that feed on their carcasses, the IUCN report said, adding that there could be as few as 300 of the vultures remaining in all of Southeast Asia.

The Bengal florican has declined to as few as 900 birds in Cambodia and could be extinct in the country within five years, the report stated.

The douc monkey also faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future, it said.

Tom Evans, technical adviser for the Wildlife Conservation Society, said the decline of the red-headed vulture in Cambodia was mainly due to less carrion on the ground than poisoning.

In fact, Diclofenac is not used in Cambodia, which could mean there is a good chance for the species to begin recover its numbers here, he said.

Included on the "Red List" are 26 animals, fish and plants found in Cambodia, which are listed as critically endangered, and some 36 species listed as endangered.

Source: Xinhua

Group Launches Plan to Save 189 Birds

In this photo released by U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society, a Bengal Florican is seen in Kampong Thom province, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the capital Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in this May 13, 2006 file photo. An international conservation group launched an ambitious plan Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 to raise tens of million dollars to save 189 endangered birds over the next five years by protecting their habitat and raising public awareness about their plight. (AP Photo/Wildlfe Conservation Society, HO)

Wednesday, August 15, 2007
By MICHAEL CASEY
AP

BANGKOK, Thailand - An international conservation group launched an ambitious plan Thursday to raise tens of millions of dollars to save 189 endangered birds over the next five years by protecting their habitat and raising public awareness about their plight.

U.K.-based BirdLife International is calling on environmental groups, corporations and individuals to contribute the $37.8 million needed for what it is dubbing the Species Champions initiative.

The campaign comes as the numbers of extinct birds is on the rise, mostly due to poaching, habitat loss and overdevelopment. In the last three decades, 21 species have been lost, including the Hawaiian honeycreeper Poo-uli, Hawaiian Crow or alala and the Spixs Macaw from Brazil, BirdLife said.

The first birds to benefit will be the Bengal Florican in Cambodia, the Belding's Yellowthroat in Mexico, Djibouti Francolin in Djibouti and Restinga Antwren from Brazil. All have seen their numbers drop from a few thousand to a few hundred and their ranges limited to a few isolated locations.

"Critically endangered birds can be saved from extinction through this innovative approach," the group's Chief Executive Mike Rands said in a statement. "This is an enormous challenge, but one we are fully committed to achieving in our efforts to save the world's birds from extinction."

All the birds targeted in the campaign are listed by the World Conservation Union as critically endangered which means they are on the brink of extinction.

Among them are the Black Stilt, a New Zealand shorebird whose numbers have been reduced to a handful. Many like Taita Thrush in Kenya are confined to diminishing fragments of their former habitat. Others like the Red-headed Vulture are still widespread in Asia and still have populations measurable in thousands, but are in dramatic decline, having lost over 80 percent of their numbers in just three generations.

"We all have a negative impact on the environment, and we all have a little bit of blood on our hands when a species goes extinct," said Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's Global Species Program Coordinator. "The Species Champions initiative provides everyone with a personal opportunity to play their part in mitigating these impacts and in saving species from extinction."

BirdLife officials said the funding will also go to implementing environmental awareness programs, helping developing government conservation policies, creating protected area networks and carrying out surveys to better understand, assess and fight the threats facing the birds. Programs will also be aimed at removing invasive species, especially those that threaten island nesting species.

"The initiative is about raising funds to direct at the key people and organizations on the ground who can make a difference for these species on the brink of extinction," Butchart said. "It is the first time this approach has been taken in such a globally comprehensive and coordinated way for an entire class of organisms."

Like Cambodia's Elephants, Phnong Traditions in Jeopardy

Mane Yun in local Bunong village in Cambodia.

Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
13 August 2007

Cambodian elephants can be distinguished from their African counterparts by their smaller ears, Yun Mane, a young law student of the Phnong minority, explained recently from Mondulkiri province.

These elephants are endangered, just as the traditions of the Phnong people are.

The Phnong's traditional use of elephants to clear forests and for transportation is declining, as the monetary value of elephants increase. Many Phnong, who are short of food and money, sell their elephants to companies in Siem Reap, where they are used transport tourists around Angkor Wat, Yun Mane told VOA Khmer recently.

"The elephant is the animal we love the most because it helps transport wood from the forests to help us build homes, and rice from the fields, and fruits and vegetables from farms," she said. "Our people do not rely on motorcycles or bicycles, because, in the forests and on the mud paths, when there is heavy rain and flooding, the elephant is the most reliable of all.''

As a child Yun Mane rode her elephant into Vietnam to bring back food and herbal medicine. But she sold her elephant several years ago to help her family and help pay for her education. Phnong are historically known as expert elephant captors. In their religion, the Phnong pray to elephant gods for good health, abundant harvests and safe journeys. The Phnong are forbidden to kill or eat the animals. A domestic elephant is honored in death with the same traditional funeral burial as a human.

''When an elephant dies, the Phnong do not eat the dead elephant," Yun Mane said. "A few Phnong might, but very few. The elephant is considered sacred, even in death. We bury a deceased elephant, especially the elephant that I personally love."

Melbourne scientists plan to run DNA tests on elephant dung sent from Cambodia to help work out numbers and monitor wild populations. Rangers have collected almost 600 samples of elephant dung from the Cardamom Mountains in the country's southwest.

Elephant biologist Joe Hefferman said getting a more accurate picture of population size would help conservationists work out how many elephants were being poached.

New curbs proposed on trade in endangered species

March 1, 2007
By Robert Evans

GENEVA (Reuters) - Europeans may soon find some of their favourite fish dishes are off the menu while lovers of coral jewellery and consumers of Asian medicines may have to change their ways, the United Nations indicated on Wednesday.

The U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) said proposals on the agenda for a key conference in June would, if approved, impose tighter rules on trade in a range of endangered species -- animals and trees as well as riches of the sea.

The European Union, UNEP said, wanted to see controls on the sale of the spiny dogfish, a small shark often called "rock salmon" and especially popular as a fish-and-chips dish in Britain and eaten with horseradish in Germany.

The United States is seeking restrictions on trade in pink coral, the most precious variety of the tiny marine polyp, while Kenya and Mali want a 20-year ban on sales of raw or worked ivory to protect elephants.

The proposals will be discussed at the three-yearly gathering of signatory states to the U.N.'s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to be held in The Hague from June 3 to 15.

CITES, whose secretariat works with UNEP, was adopted by more than 100 countries in 1973 and now has 169 signatories.

Among other species for which greater protection is on the agenda for the June gathering are the tiny, wide-eyed Asian slow loris primate, European eels, sawfish, Caribbean lobsters and Latin American cedar and rosewood trees.

Cambodia, which is seeking a full CITES ban on trade in the loris, argues that the animal -- popular as a pet in Asia but threatened mainly because its bones are used in Asian traditional medicines -- could soon die out.

Countries calling for restrictions on trade in eels, sawfish and lobsters say their numbers are declining rapidly because they are grossly over-fished, while the defenders of tropical trees say they are being logged to extinction.

The proposal for a total ban on ivory trade is likely to be fiercely contested by countries from southern Africa, which argue they have been successful in limiting illegal killing of elephants, which CITES experts say has yet to be proved.

Botswana and Namibia want an easing of CITES rules on one-off ivory sales, and Botswana itself is to ask the conference for approval to sell 40 tonnes from its existing stocks and an annual export quota of eight tonnes.

Kenya and Mali -- which also have elephant populations and have waged a bitter struggle against illegal killing to harvest the animals' tusks -- say any easing of the CITES rules would encourage poachers.

Another proposal experts say is likely to cause controversy is one from Uganda to end a total ban on the export of leopard parts and replace it with less onerous restrictions which would allow a limited trade in skins as hunting trophies.

Cambodian forest home to many endangered birds

Feb. 7, 2007

Scientists flock to remote region to study rare species

Associated Press

BANGKOK, THAILAND — Researchers in the remote forests of Cambodia said Wednesday they have discovered the only known colony in Southeast Asia of slender-billed vultures and scores of other endangered birds.

The colony was discovered last month in the jungles east of the Mekong River in Cambodia's Stung Treng Province.

"We discovered the nests on top of a hill where two other vulture species were also found," said Song Chansocheat, manager of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project.

"Amazingly, there were also a host of other globally threatened species of birds and primates," Song Chansocheat said in a statement. "It's a very special place."

The area was also found to be home to several other species listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union, including the white-rumped vulture, according to the New York-based WCS.

The team also spotted a red-headed vulture, giant ibis and an endangered primate called a silvered langur, or leaf monkey.

Researchers said slender-billed vultures have been found in other parts of Southeast Asia but that the only other known colony until now was in northern India. They are believed extinct in many parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand.