Biodiversity

Before being officially declared extinct by scientists late last month, the Chinese paddlefish, a native to the Yangtze River system, had been listed along with the Mekong giant catfish as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The extinction of the paddlefish, one ...

Tbong sits in the shade of a makeshift stilt hut over the edge of Tonlé Sap lake, surrounded by curious children. “Snake, catfish, elephant fish ” he says, his eyes crinkled against the sun. “Before, a long time ago the lake had a lot of ...

Are tigers extinct in Laos? That’s the conclusion of a detailed new study that found no evidence wild tigers still exist in the country. What researchers did find during a five-year camera survey of the biodiversity-rich Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area was evidence of snares — lots and ...

The Kingdom has welcomed 13 newborn Irrawaddy dolphins in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces so far this year, according to the World Wildlife Fund. WWF yesterday said in a report its research team spotted the latest calf during an expedition to the Kampi dolphin pool in ...

Environment advocates are voicing concerns over the Mekong River’s deteriorating ecosystem, especially with more projects set to affect the waterway in the pipeline. “If these so-called development projects continue, especially the construction of more dams, the Mekong will face a crisis,” said Niwat Roi-kaeo, president of ...

A special exhibition highlighting the rich ecology surrounding the Mekong region and various uses of the biological resources, such as in skin care and cosmetic products, commemorating the 1st Mekong-ROK Summit in Busan that opened Wednesday for a monthlong run. “Life on the Mekong; Connecting People, ...

The animals of Southeast Asia’s tropical rainforests are under threat. As if deforestation and habitat degradation weren’t enough to contend with, cheap, easy-to-produce illegal snares are being set at an alarming rate in the last refuges for wildlife in the region, indiscriminately killing and maiming ...

The Stung Treng provincial Forestry Administration seized 40kg of wildlife meat on Monday from the Stung Treng Samaki market in Stung Treng town where it was being illegally sold. Orn Chan Socheat, the acting director of the Stung Treng Forestry Administration, confirmed the seizure but said ...

Across Southeast Asia, wild animals are being hunted out of existence to feed growing demand for bushmeat, according to conservationists. Thomas Gray, science director with conservation group Wildlife Alliance, which operates in Cambodia, says that snares — simple traps made of wire and rope — have become the single biggest ...

The Tonle Sap Lake is called the Great Lake by Cambodians for good reason. The scenic lake spans a vast area as the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia. Its quaint waterborne villages are popular with tourists. Yet Cambodia’s Great Lake does more than just provide for ...