‘Rare and elusive’ creatures appear on trail cameras in Cambodia forest. Take a look
Trail cameras scattered throughout a biodiversity hotspot in Cambodia photographed dozens of species, including several “rare and elusive” animals. Photos and videos show the unique creatures.
A team of researchers set out to survey wildlife in the Central Cardamom Mountains Landscape. The lush forest was “long considered a refuge for rare species” but hadn’t been systematically surveyed — until now, Conservation International said in an Oct. 30 blog post.
Researchers set up almost 150 trail cameras to record from February to December 2023, reviewed the footage and published a report of their findings, the organization wrote in an Oct. 30 news release.
The result? A first-of-its kind look at the region’s “rare and elusive” inhabitants.
In total, trail cameras recorded 108 species ranging from mammals to birds to reptiles. Most of the species are considered of “least concern” by conservation officials, but nearly a quarter were considered at risk.
The only critically endangered species seen on trail cameras was the Sunda pangolin. A video shared by the organization on YouTube shows a mother pangolin with her baby riding on her tail.
Sunda pangolins were photographed 18 times, “an astonishing number for this elusive, nocturnal mammal,” the organization said.
Clouded leopards, a vulnerable and solitary species, were seen roughly 30 times. A photo shows one of these gray-brown felines walking through the forest.
Trail cameras also photographed another wild cat, the Asian or Asiatic golden cat. A photo shows its glinting eyes peering through the dark landscape.
Asian elephants, “an important keystone species,” also passed by the trail cameras, the organization said. “In the Cardamom Mountains, less than 100 Asian elephants are thought to survive,” and the species is considered endangered.
Researchers also identified sun bears in the footage, the “smallest of all bear species.” A video shared by Conservation International on YouTube shows a sun bear scratching its back against a tree before lumbering off camera.
Trail cameras also recorded several packs of dholes, an endangered type of wild dog native to Asia. “With fewer than 2,500 remaining in the wild, dholes are one of the region’s last remaining apex predators,” the group said. A photo shows three orange-brown dholes running together.
Another endangered animal photographed in the Cardamom Mountains was the pileated gibbon. These “iconic” apes have “long arms that allow (them) to swing from branch to branch at speeds of up to 56 kilometers per hour (35 miles per hour),” the organization said. “It is extremely rare to see these shy primates on the ground, as they prefer to be high in the forest.”
Other more common passersby included wild pigs, porcupines, macaques, small deer known as muntjac and pheasants, according to the project’s final report.
“All of these species are connected, and they play a vital role in the Cardamom’s ecosystem,” Thaung Ret, the organization’s lead researcher in Cambodia, said in the blog post.
“To be able to document this stunning amount of life is a real privilege,” Ret said. “But we’ve just scratched the surface, the more we learn about the rich web of life in this area, the better we’ll be able to protect it.”
“The study establishes a critical baseline for future wildlife population monitoring, and also highlights the critical conservation needs of the area,” Oum Sony, the organization’s Cambodia country director, said in the release.
This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 12:20 PM with the headline "‘Rare and elusive’ creatures appear on trail cameras in Cambodia forest. Take a look."
