Wildlife Conservation in the Central Cardamom Forest

By Vicheka Lay

A collaborative study between the Cambodian Forestry Administration, Conservation International and Fauna and Flora International from 2001 to 2004 has proved that the Central Cardamom Forest has an exceptional degree of biological diversity, including many globally threatened species such as the Indochinese tiger, Asian elephant, and Siamese crocodile. The Central Cardamom Protected Forest is situated within the boundaries of three Cambodian provinces, Koh Kong, Kompong Speu, and Pursat, and covers over 400,000 hectares of land.

According to Mr. Peov Somanak, Research and Monitoring Manager of Conservation International, "Countless treasures exist in this virtually undisturbed forest, one of the only such remaining areas in mainland Southeast Asia.".

Research Findings

The core of the research study has been to unveil the treasures of the Central Cardamom Protected Forest and how those treasures can be protected.

Asiatic Black Bears and Malayan Sun Bears, large deer, wild dogs, wild oxen, elephants, musk deer, wild pigs, mountain goats, wild cats, polecats, various kinds of tigers, wild chickens, small deer, mountainous crocodiles, and many other animals were recorded during the joint studies by using camera trapping.

According to Mr. Samanak, "These results are not complete; there are many more species not yet found, due to time and funding constraints.".

Conservation Efforts

A number of steps have been taken by the Cambodian Government to help protect the forest's biodiversity:

• In January 2001, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a decree to suspend all timber deals and activities in the Central Cardamom Forest.

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Conservation International (CI) in order to provide budgetary and technical support to the Forestry Administration for the protection of the Central Cardamom Protected Forest.

• In March 2001, the conservation program began operations with three main activities: law enforcement; research and monitoring; and community development.

• In 2002, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen issued a sub decree declaring this area as a protected biodiversity area.

Other Research Projects

Adequate research and monitoring of individual species is also a vital component of biodiversity protection. Projects include:

Bear Research:

Established in 2006, focusing on three main activities:

1. Research in the Central Cardamom Protected Forest, South-West damrey corridor alley region, Bokor national park, Sre Pork zone, Mondulkiri province, Battambang province and other zones of importance;

2. Production of a documentary on protecting bears in Cambodia which was broadcast on the "Environment Beauty" program of Apsara TV;

3. Provision of training in schools within the Central Cardamom Forest.

Two kinds of bear species were found during this study - the Asiatic Black Bear and the Malayan Sun Bear. The greatest threats to these species were identified as cable trapping, hunting with guns and dogs and habitat damage. The Malayan Sun Bear was shown to be the more endangered of the two species.

Pangolin Research

This research is conducted in Thmar Baing district in Koh Kong province, Sihanouville, Keo Seima, Sen Monorom, Koh Nhek and Pich Da districts of Mondulkiri, Sandan district of Kompong Thom province, Prey Lang region of Stung Treng province and also Kratie province. The greatest threat to pangolin populations is hunting for use in traditional herbal medicines.

Cambodia is adorned with and famed for its natural resources, which the central cardamom mountain is one of the icons of Cambodia's natural resources. Cambodia, the region and even the world would directly or indirectly benefit from such the Cambodian natural resources that have global values.

So it is a must that all Cambodian peoples, its government, international communities and all those interested to contribute, in order to preserve the Central Cardamom Mountain.