Wild animals you need to see in Cambodia

If you are planning your Cambodia tour package in the mountainous regions, you will see the wide range of beautiful mammals, birds and reptiles in this area.

Cambodia is home to an incredible collection of wildlife. As for this, there are many sanctuaries and projects helping the survival of rare and endangered animals within Cambodia. There are many activities and sights to see on magnificent variety of the Cambodia trekking tour.

1. Irrawaddy Dolphin

Kratie is located 200km west of Mondulkiri on the banks of the Mekong River. The main reason for a visit to Kratie is to spot the elusive Irrawaddy Dolphin. They are an endangered species throughout Asia, with shrinking numbers inhabiting stretches of the Mekong in Cambodia and Laos, and isolated pockets in Bangladesh and Myanmar. They are dark-blue to grey, can grow to 2.75m long, and are recognisable by their small dorsal fins and bulging foreheads. Despite drastic measures to try and protect them, these numbers continue to plummet, and experts now estimate there are only around 80 Irrawaddy dolphins left in the Mekong between Kratie and the border with Laos.

The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) population inhabits a 190km stretch of the Mekong River between Cambodia and Lao PDR. The latest population is estimated between 64 and 76 members (2008 figures). The Irrawaddy dolphin is identified by a bulging forehead, a short beak, and 12-19 teeth on each side of each jaw. The pectoral fin is broadly triangular. There is a small dorsal fin, on the posterior end of the back.

2. Banteng

The banteng (Bos javanicus javanicus) is also known as the tembadau and is a species of wild cattle found in southeast Asia; They are social creatures that spend most of their time in herds of between 2 and 40 individuals, usually tour in cambodia led by an older cow and a single mature male. Other males live either alone or in bachelor groups. This single male of the group breeds with all the females which means that competition for dominance is fierce. Usually a single calf is born after a 285 day gestation, they are then weaned at between six to nine months old.

They are found throughout southeast Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. They prefer to live in dry deciduous forests, feeding in open clearings.

Considered to be one of the most beautiful and graceful of all wild cattle in Cambodia, banteng populations  declined by about 95 percent between the late 1960s and early 1990s, according to WWF Cambodia. Today, the Eastern Plains of Cambodia is home to the most banteng, where work to preserve them has led to the population’s stabilisation. However, habitat loss and illegal poaching remain the animals’ main threats, as well as disease from wild livestock.

3. Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon

The yellow-cheeked crested gibbon is one of six species of crested gibbons, all of which have suffered from accelerating declines throughout their range, mostly due to habitat loss and hunting for the pet trade. Yellow-cheeked crested gibbons occur in northeastern Cambodia, southern Vietnam, and southern Laos, with Cambodia probably containing the majority of these individuals.

As a result of forest destruction and hunting, the wild population is estimated at less than 25,000 with the majority of the surviving population in Cambodia. In the Eastern Plains Landscape of Mondulkiri, a recent survey found Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary to hold the second largest number of these gibbons in Cambodia after Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area. Gibbons in the wild are very timid, although they happily co-exist with doucs, they are afraid of the tougher, noisier macaques.

4. Pygmy Slow Loris

A Pygmy slow loris is a small, compact creature with a short tail, a short, rounded muzzle, round eyes that are directed forward and fur that is short and dense. They are mostly brown, gray or reddish-brown. Between their eyes are white lines, with dark markings encircling them, and a faint medial stripe on the crown. Their hands are broad and they have an opposable thumb. The two genders are similar in appearance

The species also seems to be the most common mammal used in traditional Khmer medicines. Protected areas in eastern Cambodia, like Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, are thus likely to be important areas for the conservation of pygmy loris.

The slow lorises are small nocturnal and arboreal primates from Southeast Asia that prefer the tops of the trees and have slow, deliberate movements. Depending on the author, 3-5 species are distinguished. The Bengal Loris lives in Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam. The population trends of this species are unknown, but it has been intensively hunted as it is a popular pet species and used in traditional medicine in many ways.

==> Adventure Tours in Siem Reap 5. Clouded Leopard

The Leopard Cat is a small wild cat in the size of the domestic cat that lives in South and East Asia. Due to its large distribution area, several subspecies are distinguished that may exist in different kind of habitats. The overall population is not endangered, but regionally the species has become rare.

This beautiful wild cat inhabits lowland primary and secondary forest. It is mainly nocturnal in habits, but may be active during cooler parts of the day. The Clouded Leopard is considered to be 'the smallest of the big cats' more closely related to larger species such as the true Leopard and Tiger than smaller species, such as the Leopard Cat .

They can also be seen at Wildlife Alliance’s Phnom Tamao Rescue Center, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, where animals are rescued from the clutches of illegal trade and poaching, and rehabilitated before being released into their natural habitat. The clouded leopard is under threat due to wildlife hunting and loss of habitat.

==> Source: https://cambodiatours.com/