Cambodia calls for protecting endangered Asian elephants

Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)

Hanoi (VNA) – Cambodia on August 12 called for a greater participation from all stakeholders to protect and conserve endangered Asian elephants in its protected areas.

The appeal was made on the World Elephant Day. Asian elephants are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Environment Neth Pheaktra said Cambodia is home to between 400 and 600 wild Asian elephants, which live mostly in the Cardamom Mountains and in the northern provinces of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri. Also, there are some 70 domesticated elephants in the Southeast Asian country.

"Asian elephants are under threat globally, including Cambodia, due to poaching, snaring, human-elephant conflict, capture for taming and habitat degradation," he said.

According to him, Cambodia needs about 40.5 million USD for 10 years (2020-2029) to protect and conserve Asian elephants across the kingdom./.