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Preah Vihear ( 25 December 2017) – Research teams from the Ministry of Environment, WCS and local communities have initiated a camera trapping study to better understand the small to medium sized mammal species inhabiting Phnom Tbeng Natural Heritage Park (PTNHP) situated in Preah Vihear Province.

PTNHP contains some of the last remaining evergreen and semi-evergreen forest habitats in northern Cambodia and is of high importance for wildlife conservation and provision of ecosystem services. Numerous wildlife species including pileated gibbon, bear and Indochinese silvered langur are known to exist in the forests. The PTNHP forests also ensure a supply of freshwater to surrounding communities and prevent soil erosion from the area’s steep slopes. However, continued hunting and logging is placing the forests under considerable pressure.

“With good collaboration between stakeholders, we completed the camera trap deployment in PTNHP over four days. Our team was divided into three groups and travelled to pre-determined locations to set-up 24 camera traps to find out what species are living in the park,” said Mao Khean, WCS’s Wildlife Research Project Coordinator in the Northern Plains of Cambodia.

“During the survey, we saw that the PTNHP is very beautiful and has many natural waterfalls that can potentially support ecotourism project development in the future. The results from the study will be useful for conservationists to better develop a plan to conserve these wild animals,” he added.

PTNHP covers about 25,269 hectares and has a general elevation of about 400 meters. It was established in 2016. The park forms a key component of the upper watershed of the Stung Sen River, a tributary of the Tonle Sap Lake.

The wildlife survey in PTNHP was made possible due to financial support from Rainforest Trust, Arcus Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).