The Cardamom Mountains lie in Southwest Cambodia, bordered on the West by Thailand, with Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, sixty miles to the Northeast. Home to one of seven remaining elephant corridors in Southeast Asia and containing sixteen distinct ecosystems, the Cardamom Mountain range is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot supporting a rich variety of animal and plant species. Asian elephants, the Indo
chinese tiger, and Siamese crocodiles all make the Cardamoms their home, as well as other globally endangered animals. The Cardamom’s pristine wilderness and dozens of waterfalls make them one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cambodia, and their high-altitude forests act as an important watershed for much of Western Cambodia’s arable land.
Despite the size of the region-2.2 million acres, or about the size of Yellowstone National Park - the Cardamoms are under threat from illegal logging, uncontrolled forest fires and slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by rural villagers displaced during thirty years of civil war. Logging roads and water routes, in addition to the close proximity of villages and logging communities, have put pressure on wildlife. New access routes mean new opportunities to capture and transport wildlife and forest products to markets across Asia. Stripping the Cardamoms of forest cover and other environmental “regulators” threatens the livelihoods of thousands of people on the coast who rely on healthy, robust fisheries linked to protected forests. If the Cardamom’s forest cover and other intact regions continue to shrink, more than wildlife will be at risk.
In April 2002, the Cambodian Forestry Administration and Wildlife Alliance initiated ranger patrols to help protect the integrity of the Cardamom Mountains wilderness and combat
the devastating effects of deforestation, unsustainable poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. These new patrols and coordinated habitat protection were desperately needed to confront an epidemic of elephant poaching and illegal forest fires. Wildlife Alliance implemented its own proven park protection model - strengthening rangers to better protect natural areas from land grabbers, illegal loggers and poachers; supporting sustainable farming and other forms of productive economic development activities; and raising awareness about conservation issues within the communities in the Cardamom region. Since the beginning of ranger patrol activities, Wildlife Alliance-trained rangers have successfully reduced poaching and forest fires and protected the integrity of the forests
in key areas, especially along transportation routes.
We have sited and outfitted ranger stations strategically to enable rangers to stop land encroachment, poaching, and forest clearing, and maintain surveillance of human traffic coming and going from the forests. Rangers are trained in patrol tactics, GPS navigation and communications, and we ensure that they work productively with villagers to protect the forest. We also train them to gather evidence and prepare documentation for prosecution when wildlife protection laws are broken.
Building and staffing these ranger stations has been a multiple-year effort. With the help of generous donors, we have continued to build and equip stations throughout the Cardamoms.
In August 2007, with support from the Tamaki Foundation and other donors, we completed construction of the Koh Pao River Ranger Station, from which we have coordinated foot and river patrols and responded quickly to illegal activities identified by aerial surveying. In 2008, with the support of the Los Angeles media company, Trigger LLC, we plan to relocate the Andong Tuek station to a permanent site at the junction of the Chi Phat and Stung Proat rivers, a thoroughfare used by poachers to hunt endangered primates for sale abroad in Vietnam and China.
The record of ranger successes in the Cardamoms has been overwhelmingly positive. Operating in rugged terrain with limited resources, these rangers have confiscated thousands of illegal materials and equipment, including timber, charcoal, chainsaws, snares and wildlife meat, and destroyed charcoal kilns and illegal poaching camps. They’ve also successfully rescued live wild animals held captive by poachers and smugglers, reducing the pressure on Cambodia’s threatened wildlife.
Through direct protection of wildlife by strong law enforcement, environmental education, and economic development alternatives, Wildlife Alliance is working to build a sanctuary for Southern Cambodia’s wildlife now and for the future.
You can help support Wildlife Alliance's efforts to protect Cambodia's Cardamoms by making a donation to support our SWEC Ranger teams. The SWEC Rangers patrol the South Western Elephant Corridor of the Cardamom range and remain last line of defense against wildlife poachers and illegal loggers who are exploiting this rich and vibrant ecosystem.
Educating Future Generations
Wildlife Alliance also understands that communities living near protected areas need to understand the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation, to help motivate them to protect nature's treasure. Our public awareness campaigns raise environmental awareness in outlying communities and classrooms, in an attempt to raise awareness about the negative impacts of wildlife poaching and deforestation and the importance of preserving Cambodia's natural heritage. For more information on our Public Awareness programs click here.
Providing Livelihoods to Villagers
Rural communities in the Cardamoms need to generate income for themselves and their families, but there are seldom alternatives to poaching and illegal plant harvesting. Wildlife Alliance addresses these economic challenges by providing alternatives to poaching and illegal forest destruction. Our Community Development and Agricultural Program based in the Cardamom village of Sovanna Baitong empowers formerly landless slash-and-burn farmers in a new village commune based on economically and ecologically sound principles. We also provide technical know-how to teach these villagers modern business models to ensure they earn a good living for their families, while avoiding the need to poach the Cardamom’s wild animals or destroy its forests for money. For more information on our Alternative Livelihood programs click here.
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