PHNOM PENH: Camera traps have captured several endangered species inside Cambodia’s highly threatened Cardamom Mountains for the first time, highlighting the need to protect the area—where several dams have been built—conservationists said Wednesday.

The footage captured from February to December last year shows a total of 108 wild species, 23 of which are classified as at risk—vulnerable or worse—on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Conservation International (CI) said it was the first camera trap study of the protected Central Cardamom Mountains National Park in southwestern Cambodia.

Environmentalists have warned that the more than 500 species in the Central Cardamoms face a number of threats, ranging from illegal logging and poaching to sand dredging. Several hydropower dams have been constructed in the area near the national park, drawing criticism from conservationists. "The Cardamoms is really a haven for these species,” Jackson Frechette, a senior technical director at CI, told AFP.

"This is a refuge, one of the last in the world... a sort of stronghold for some of these endangered species in perpetuity.” The hidden cameras captured 65 bird, 38 mammal and five reptile species in total, according to a joint report by CI, the Cambodian environment ministry and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). They include the dhole—a wild dog that is one of the last remaining predators in Cambodia—the Asian elephant and the Asiatic golden cat.

Other rare and elusive species recorded include clouded leopards, marbled cats, sun bears and the Asiatic black bear. A total of 147 camera traps were deployed, taking 55,000 videos and 22,200 images of wildlife between February and December 2023. "While the 108 species recorded by the camera traps are impressive, they represent just a fraction of the animals present,” Thaung Ret, CI’s research lead, said in a statement. Thaung Ret said further research was needed to adequately conserve "this treasure trove of biodiversity”.

Cambodian environment minister Eang Sophalleth said in a statement Wednesday that authorities are working on biodiversity protection and habitat restoration.

The government has been criticized for allowing companies to clear hundreds of thousands of hectares of forested land in Cambodia—including in protected zones—for projects ranging from rubber and sugar cane plantations to hydropower dams. — AFP