Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Ministry, NGOs work on elephant collaring techniques

Ministry, NGOs work on elephant collaring techniques

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A training on elephant collaring techniques is held from November 14-24 in Mondulkiri province. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT

Ministry, NGOs work on elephant collaring techniques

The Ministry of Environment and partner NGOs working on wildlife conservation provided specialized training on elephant collaring techniques to track their movement.

The training was conducted from November 14-24 in Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary and at the Elephant Valley project in Mondulkiri Province.

A joint press statement said that elephants are one of most intelligent and social animals and that they have a personal space, like humans. To understand their movements across a vast territory of forested landscape can be challenging if there is no electronic tracking via collaring.

The training was participated in by wildlife research specialists from the environment ministry, representatives from the Mondulkiri provincial Department of Environment, the community research team, WWF-Cambodia, WWF-Vietnam, WCS and the Royal University of Agriculture.

“Through both theoretical and practical sessions, the participants learned all of the technical collaring techniques to understand how to plan and implement every step of elephant collaring safely,” it said.

According to the statement, the elephant collaring project is part of a bigger Asian elephant conservation program that aims to understand the environmental drivers of elephant movements and predict where elephants are in order to guide conservation efforts and sustainable development. It is supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), WWF-Sweden and WWF-Belgium.

Mondulkiri’s Eastern Plains landscape has the largest population of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Cambodia, with more than 300 individuals, the statement said, based on results from fecal DNA-based surveys in 2015.

The Ministry of Environment said Cambodia currently has between 400 and 600 wild Asian elephants living in the Cardamom Mountains, Prey Lang and the Eastern Plains of Mondulkiri and Ratanakkiri provinces. There are also about 70 domesticated elephants.

MOST VIEWED

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom

  • PM warns of int’l election interference

    With the national election scheduled to take place in less than two months, Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned foreign nations and their diplomats not to interfere into Cambodia’s domestic affairs. He also hinted that their statements on court verdicts handed down to any