PeunPa (member of Wildlife Alliance) Wildlife Experts Join Regional Experts in Search for Bears

Story from the Field

PeunPa (member of Wildlife Alliance) Wildlife Experts Join Regional Experts in Search for Bears

May 18, 2007

Bears throughout Southeast Asia face an uncertain future in the wild as a result of the demand for bear parts for exotic food, traditional medicine and pet trade. Nonetheless, little is known about the habits and status of bears in the wild.

In an attempt to learn more about the animals in Asia, conservation groups gathered at Cambodia's National Protected Area Training Center which was developed by PuenPa and Wildlife Alliance in partnership with the Cambodian and US Governments. PeunPa, collaborated with Free the Bears, World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International to deliver a Bear Survey training course for more than 20 park rangers from all over Cambodia, with observers from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The course, which ran from April 23 to April 27, 2007, was designed to train rangers and field wildlife monitoring personnel in the region how to carry out standardized methods of monitoring bear populations. A better understanding of bears and their ecology will help officials and conservationists plan bear conservation strategies in this region.