Conservationists with the Wildlife Conservation Society have rescued two endangered white-winged ducks in the Kulen-Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary after they were found by local villagers ‘exhausted and unable to fly’, according to a statement released yesterday.

The ducks are currently at the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, where they will be rehabilitated until they are ready to return to the wild. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which lists the bird as endangered, says its population is “undergoing a very rapid and continuing decline as a result of the loss of and disturbance to riverine habitats”.

In its statement, WCS said the case highlighted the importance of educating locals about conservation. “If they do not understand the importance of wildlife conservation, they might have eaten or sold these ducks,” said Rours Vann, the wildlife research team leader in the sanctuary for WCS and the Ministry of Environment.