NEWS - Survey of Cambodian Jungle F

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Subject: NEWS - Survey of Cambodian Jungle Finds Poaching Threatens Wildlife

Survey of Cambodian Jungle Finds Poaching Threatens Wildlife

               AP
               19-JUL-99

               PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- A high-tech survey in
               Cambodia's largest national park has found a diversity of
               wildlife preserved by decades of isolation, but an
absence of
               tigers and elephants suggests that poaching is taking a
toll. 

               Using traps that take photographs rather than ensnare
wild
               beasts, the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society
               and a team of Cambodian environmentalists surveyed deep
               within Virachey National Park, a sprawling forest in
               northeastern Cambodia. 

               During 35 days in the remote jungle, the 11 camera traps
               recorded the presence of two species of leopard, wild
dogs,
               deer, civet cats and wild pigs -- a diversity that
suggests a
               healthy ecosystem, said Tony Lynam, an ecologist with the
               Wildlife Conservation Society who was the study's chief
               adviser. 

               However, tigers, elephants and bantengs -- a large
species
               of wild cattle -- did not appear in any of the 70 photos
               recovered from the traps last week. 

               Their absence suggests that Asia's trade in rare animals
for
               traditional medicine is beginning to thrive in Cambodia,
               which was long off-limits during decades of war and
strife. 

               "The area is rich in wildlife, but the very largest,
critically
               endangered species are not there," Lynam said. "Clearly,
               there is a problem with hunting, which is indicated by
the
               absence of these three species." 

               Tiger bones in particular are highly prized on the black
               market for their purported healing and aphrodisiac
qualities.
               Poaching has seen tiger populations drastically decline
               throughout Southeast Asia, with as few as 1,000 of the
big
               cats remaining in the wild. 

               Conservationists could not study Cambodia's wildlife
during
               the years of civil war. Some have speculated that such
               isolation may have caused species to thrive. 


               A recent study by the U.S.-based Cat Action Treasury
based
               on interviews with hunters and provincial officials
estimated
               that there may be about 700 adult tigers living in
Cambodia.
               Lynam believes that estimate is far too high. 

               Using the camera traps, Lynam hopes to get a clearer
               picture of where tigers are thriving in the region so
those
               areas can be singled out for protection. 

               The Virachey survey appears to mirror findings in
Thailand,
               Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia, which indicate tigers
are
               even more endangered than previously thought. 

               The Environment Ministry's Protected Areas Office hopes
               the surveys will convince a cash-strapped Cambodian
               government to pay more attention to the nation's wildlife
               before it is too late. 

               "We need to convince the government that wildlife
protection
               is important," said Lay Kim, director of the Protected
Areas
               Office. "If the pictures show that there are endangered
               species, it will attract national and international
support for
               conservation."