Residents of Dang Peng commune in Sre Ambel district of Koh Kong province captured an endangered Siamese crocodile in the southern Cardamom Mountains National Park and handed it over to Ministry of Environment rangers.
The ministry said on April 28 that the Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) weighed 3.5kg and measured 1.15m long. After examining it in collaboration with experts from Fauna and Flora International (Cambodia), it was determined that the animal was born in the wild and not one that escaped from captivity.
The crocodile was later released by the organisation back into the wild with the help of ministry rangers and experts.
The officials thanked the people who captured the crocodile for understanding the value of it as a rare and endangered animal that Cambodia is fighting to conserve in its natural habitat.
The Cardamom Mountains are an excellent habitat for Siamese crocodiles, but they can also be found in the Osom area of Pursat province, remote canals in Preah Sihanouk and Koh Kong's Sre Ambel district.
