Wildlife of Cambodia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Wildlife of Cambodia is home to a diverse array of wildlife. There are 212 mammal species, 536 bird species, 240 reptile species, 850 freshwater fish species (Tonlé Sap Lake area), and 435 marine fish species.

Many of the country's species are recognized by the IUCN or World Conservation Union as threatened, endangered, or critically endangered due to deforestation and habitat destruction, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and farming, fishing, and forestry concessions. Intensive poaching may have already driven Cambodia's national animal, the Kouprey, to extinction, and wild tigers, Eld's deer, wild water buffaloes and hog deer are at critically low numbers.

Wildlife in Cambodia includes dholes, elephants, deer (sambar, Eld's deer, hog deer and muntjac), wild oxen (banteng and gaur), panthers, bears, and tigers. Cormorants, cranes, ibises, parrots, green peafowl, pheasants, and wild ducks are also found, and poisonous snakes are numerous. Deforestation, mining activities, and unregulated hunting, have diminished the country’s wildlife diversity rapidly.

Fortunately, much work is being done in this area to help conserve and protect Cambodia's unique wildlife. Wildlife conservation organizations operating in Cambodia include Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna and Flora International, Frontier (the Society for Environmental Exploration), BirdLife International, Wildlife Alliance, and many others.