Cambodia – Palm Oil Detectives

Dhole Canis Cuon alpinus

Fiercely protective, elusive and beautiful Dholes are an ancient species of wild dog that diverged from other dog species millions of years ago. Dholes are also known as Asiatic Wild Dogs, Indian Wild Dogs, Red Wolves and Mountain Wolves. Once found across the Russian Steppe, China, the Middle East and northern Asia their range has been fractured and reduced dramatically by human-related pressures and threats. They are now Endangered on IUCN Red List.

The Dhole have a striking and intense appearance with thick and dense fur ranging from pale gold, to yellow to dark reddish-brown and grey-brown. Their underside is typically a paler colour of creamy white. They differ from other dog species in that they have a thicker muzzle, one fewer molar on each side of their jaws and additional teats. They are average sized dogs and typically weigh between 10 – 25kg with males being about 4.5kg heavier than females.

Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata

Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; India; Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatera); Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Malaysia (Sarawak, Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia); Myanmar; Nepal; Thailand; Vietnam Near Threatened Southeast Asia has one of the highest and fastest deforestation rates mainly due to logging and forest conversion for human settlements, agriculture, oil palm, coffee, rubberContinue reading “Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata”

King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah

Known as the serpentine king of the jungle in South East Asia, the King Cobra lives in many different environments including pristine forests, degraded forests, mangroves, swamps and woodlands. The main threats that they face are as a result of palm oil deforestation and other agricultural expansion throughout their range. Help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Pileated Gibbon Hylobates pileatus

Pileated Gibbon Hylobates pileatus Endangered Cambodia; Laos, Thailand The Pileated Gibbon is listed as Endangered as they are suspected to have experienced a reduction of more than 50% over a time frame of three generations (45 years) in the past. Most populations are not yet secured in protected areas, and the main threats are habitatContinue reading “Pileated Gibbon Hylobates pileatus”

Bengal Slow Loris Nycticebus bengalensis

The Bengal Slow Loris’s are wide-eyed beauties that are arboreal and nocturnal and live in tropical evergreen rainforest, semi-evergreen forest, and mixed deciduous forest. They are the largest loris species and feed predominantly on plant sap. They are now endangered in Malaysia and other parts of South East Asia, their primary threats are illegal capture for the pet trade and #palmoil #deforestation throughout their range. Help them every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Lar Gibbon Hylobates lar

Lar Gibbon Hylobates lar Endangered Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh The Lar Gibbon is found in evergreen, semi-evergreen, and mixed evergreen-deciduous forest (sometimes known as “dry evergreen” forest, in the northern parts of their range), and is known to utilize regenerating secondary forest and selectively logged forest (Johns 1985). In northwestern Thailand, white-handed gibbonsContinue reading “Lar Gibbon Hylobates lar”

Masked Finfoot Heliopais personatus

Masked Finfoot Heliopais personatus Endangered Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Singapore The Masked Finfoot lives principally in rivers in lowland riverine forest including mangroves, but has been recorded in coastal and inland wetlands, such as tidal creeks, flooded forest, swamps and lakes (rarely reservoirs or industrial pools on passage). OneContinue reading “Masked Finfoot Heliopais personatus”

Red-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae

Red-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae Endangered Location: Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam Like other gibbons, Red-cheeked Gibbons are arboreal and diurnal, with singing bouts averaging 12 minutes and lower calling frequencies in the wet season (Rawson 2004, Kenyon 2007). The species displays a monogamous social structure of adult pair and offspring. Average group size is estimated at 3-5Continue reading “Red-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae”

Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon Nomascus annamensis

Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon Nomascus annamensis Endangered Location: Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam The Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon lives in broadleaf evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, at elevations of between 100-1,200 m asl. These gibbons are frugivorous but also consumes significant proportions of leaves, young shoots and flowers. They are also known to feed on Finlayson’s Squirrel (singleContinue reading “Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon Nomascus annamensis”

Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea

Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea Endangered Cambodia; Indonesia; Malaysia The Milky Stork is a predominantly coastal resident in Indonesia and Malaysia, inhabiting mangroves and adjacent, less saline, swamps. It forages on tidal mudflats, in saline pools, freshwater marshes, fishponds and rice-fields. The species has been documented as eating fishes, prawns and crabs (Iqbal et al. 2008,Continue reading “Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea”

Red-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus

Red-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus Critically Endangered The Red-shanked Douc Langur is associated with primary and secondary evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in both broadleaf and mixed broadleaf-coniferous forest, from lowland to montane habitats (recorded up to 1600 m a.s.l. in Lao PDR) and also associated with forests on limestone (e.g., in Hin Namno NPA andContinue reading “Red-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus”

Southern River Terrapin Batagur affinis

Southern River Terrapin Batagur affinis Critically Endangered Extant (resident): Cambodia; Indonesia (Sumatera); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia); Thailand Extinct: Singapore Presence Uncertain: Vietnam The Southern River Terrapin inhabits estuaries, mangrove creeks, lower river sections, and coastal lagoons, generally in areas influenced by the tide, but may also occur substantial distances upriver (e.g. Perak). Habitat alteration and destructionContinue reading “Southern River Terrapin Batagur affinis”

Elongated Tortoise Indotestudo elongata

Elongated Tortoise Indotestudo elongata Critically Endangered Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; India; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal; Thailand; Vietnam Elongated Tortoises inhabit primarily deciduous forest types (Sal, Dry Dipterocarp, Mixed Deciduous forests) with open, broken canopy allowing sufficient light for a moderate to very dense undergrowth of grasses and herbs; during the dry, leafless season animals may retreatContinue reading “Elongated Tortoise Indotestudo elongata”

Otter Civet Cynogale bennettii

Otter Civet Cynogale bennettii Endangered Extant (resident): Brunei Darussalam; Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatera); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak) Presence Uncertain: Thailand Little is known of Otter Civet habitat and ecology. This species was believed to be confined largely to peat swamp forests, but there are now also records from lowland dipterocarp forest (Sebastian 2005, Cheyne et al. in prep.). TheyContinue reading “Otter Civet Cynogale bennettii”

Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana

Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana Endangered Extant (resident): Cambodia; Indonesia; Malaysia; Thailand; Vietnam Possibly Extinct: Brunei Extinct: India; Myanmar Presence Uncertain: Laos Hairy-nosed Otters live in freshwater and coastal areas, especially mangroves in Indonesia, as well as rivers and waterways of other parts of South East Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. However thisContinue reading “Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana”