When it comes to bird watching, the mind automatically thinks of weekend hobbyists perched in the trees of temperate forests for hours on end, hoping to see some obscure sighting that any layman would probably miss. One also might envision grueling hikes up mountain tops or heroic (Ace Ventura-like) ascents up steep cliff faces, all for said obscure sighting. What doesn’t come to mind are beeping car horns, views of city skylines or your standard highway.
But when we pulled off to the side of a relatively busy road, some 20 minutes drive outside of the bustling streets of the Cambodian capital, our perception of bird watching (or birding as the pros call it) was forever changed.
Located in what felt like the shadows of Phnom Penh—a thriving metropolis home to a near 2.5 million people—we watched curiously as birding expert, Sang Mony, turned on his portable speaker. Commencing a slow walk down the street, urging us to stay as quiet as possible, he started playing a series of pre-recorded bird sounds. This strategy was to attract a rare species he desperately wanted to show us.
We followed Mony’s every move as he peered intently through his binoculars. Within a matter of minutes, he excitedly motioned to us pointing out a number of small, rare birds dancing from branch to branch in the nearby shrub. Explaining that people search far and wide for this particular species, Mony illustrated the point that sometimes if you look a little deeper in your own backyard, you can often be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
Cambodia contains one of the largest dry evergreen forests in all of SouthEast Asia and boasts a rich amount of biodiversity. Some 500 bird species call this country home. As well as over 200 mammal species, 240 reptile species, well over 1,000 fish species and more than 3,000 plant species (potentially up to 8,000). It's safe to say that Cambodia has exceptional wildlife coming from every direction.
It was once humans however, that were the endangered species in Cambodia. In 1975, during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, the country faced a humanitarian crisis as its people lived under the threat of genocide. Since this tumultuous period for the country, Cambodia’s primary forest coverage has reduced dramatically from 70% to just 3% in 2007.
Illegal logging and land-grabbing for large-scale agricultural or construction activity are by far the leading cause of killing and displacing large collections of wildlife. Simply put, Cambodia has had a long run of devastation and destruction when it comes to humanitarian issues as well as environmental. But, there’s a lot of people today trying to right these wrongs.
So, on a multi-day road trip across the Eastern Plains, we began consciously exploring the country with Sam Veasna Conservation Tours (SVC). It was on these long car rides that we learned about the history of Cambodia, made frequent stops to check out wildlife and learned more intimately about the land’s stewards, the Bunong people. We were making a few detours before arriving in Mondulkiri Province, where we were to meet members of the largest indigenous highland ethnic group in Cambodia—believed to have inhabited the area for more than 2,000 years.
The Bunong people were shifted out of their home for a decade in the 1970’s, following the outbreak of war on the nearby Vietnam border. They have long been linked to fostering biodiversity in the region, and to this day, actively incorporate the natural world into their everyday life, including the use of medicinal plants.
Responsible tour operators are now working with the indigenous members to help support the larger community through job creation. By helping to keep the Bunong culture thriving, they dish up traditional foods, follow customary practices and educate visitors on the techniques and traditions that have allowed their successful coexistence with nature for centuries.
The importance of local community involvement in effectively supporting long term wildlife conservation is not lost on SVC or any of the other conscious operators we met during our travels. In exchange for the benefits of increased income and employment opportunities, these communities commit to “no hunting” and sustainable land-use agreements. This collaborative approach between the Bunong people and eco-operators reinforces the shared responsibility of conservation and highlights the mutual benefits of sustainable practices.
SVC, along with the other like minded operators, each recognize the critical role they play in defining what ecotourism means in a country that’s suffered so much. For these groups, their primary objective is to bring international tours to the remaining wilds of Cambodia, and provide the surrounding local communities with a sustainable livelihood. Promoting this type of traveling is about the big picture, not just one part. While it’s amazing to see wildlife in action, it’s just as important (if not more) to see how humans can coexist with nature in a way that’s sustainable and truly authentic.
SVC was named after the pioneering Cambodian naturalist, Sam Veasna, who tragically died of malaria at the age of 33. Channeling the spirit of Sam, we were off to continue his legacy to document vulnerable wildlife with the help of our guide Mony, while getting a glimpse of how the Bunong people are building careers in ecotourism.
After our first unanticipated, inner-city birding encounter, we continued our road trip to finally escape the confines of the urban sprawl. Moving towards the more remote parts of Cambodia, we were headed to a place called Kratié in the east. Our mission: to set eyes upon the elusive freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin to better understand the causes of their dwindling numbers.
It is thought that approximately 40 Irrawaddy dolphins are left in Cambodia’s Mekong River, but the reason for their harsh decline is still unknown. Polluted waterways, rising temperatures and other human activities have surely played a part. But as we found out after close to an hour of unsuccessful spotting in the murky brown waters of this famous river, it’s very challenging to come eye to eye with these shy creatures to offer much in the way of research value.
However, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has long been studying the dolphins of the Mekong. According to them, “the protection of the Irrawaddy dolphin is crucial for the overall health of the Mekong River—home to an estimated 1,100 species of fish. The Irrawaddy dolphin is also regarded as a sacred animal by both Khmer and Lao people, and is an important source of income and jobs for communities involved in dolphin-watching ecotourism.” WWF has been working tirelessly to conduct research, tackle threats and stop the illegal wildlife trade when it comes to the Irrawaddy.
Unlike common marine dolphins, you won’t see Irrawaddy bow riding boats or putting on jumping shows. Instead, they seem to actively avoid all surface movements and noise, preferring a quiet and peaceful existence. Just as we were losing hope of spotting them, our local boat driver switched off the engine and paddled us towards a nearby riverbank. The piercing sound of their blowholes finally gave away their position, as we witnessed close to 15 Irrawaddy—a decent number of the suspected remaining population.
Seeking refuge from the intense heat, we scanned the brown river for hours with binoculars in hand. This patient, immersive experience deepened our appreciation for Cambodia's wildlife in its truest form. In the midst of this harsh environment, we began to truly grasp the essence of what 'wild' means in the context of Cambodia's diverse and natural landscapes.
Covered in sweat, a fine layer of dirt, and physically exhausted from the heat, we resumed our road trip. Busting out the neck pillows, we were passed out fast, each one drifting and nodding onto one another in the back seat.
What was meant to be a 5-6 hour drive to Mondulkiri, ended up being a lot longer. Mony is the lead bird guide, long time tour leader, operations manager and CEO of SVC. With a keen eye for detail, he noticed every creature, from those perched atop the highest treetops to others camouflaged in the bushes—like the critically endangered Black-Shanked Douc Langurs. We were stopping every hour to observe something Mony somehow spotted from the front seat of the car.
With a background in hospitality, birding started as just a hobby for Mony. He’d learned from the birding community that SVC was hiring a tour guide and thought he’d try for the job on a part time basis. It was a job he didn’t regret taking, eventually making it his full time profession with a goal of helping people better connect with nature.
The next morning we woke up in Mondulkiri. We were back on the trail at 5:30am, in the pitch black and pouring rain, searching for more monkey action. In particular, the globally endangered southern Yellow-Cheeked Crested Gibbon. We were off to visit Jahoo—an organization with an ethos closely echoing that of SVC. It is a community-owned ecotourism operator providing wildlife-friendly employment, motivating community-led conservation, promoting indigenous Bunong culture and supporting sustainable social improvements with wildlife, specifically primates.
Jahoo has its own nature reserve, home to over a quarter of the region’s endangered gibbons, as well as a wide variety of other plant, bird, reptile and mammal species—including an additional five primate species. Getting soaked, we trekked deep into the forest, wearing high visibility vests not to easily spot one another, but instead to signal to the gibbons that we were safe.
The team has trained the gibbons over many distanced interactions to recognize the high visibility as non-threatening, which allows the guides to observe and research the species more closely. After trying one or two different trails, we set eyes upon a family of roughly eight members and silently enjoyed their overhead company through the remaining trails of jungle canopies. The babies danced all over the trees, relishing the rain.
Less than 24 hours later in a nearby valley, we were face-to-face with the largest land mammal on the Asian continent—the elephant. Emerging from dense vegetation to greet us, this powerful and prehistoric behemoth roamed past completely at ease and in peace, followed shortly by another larger-than-life companion.
Elephant Valley Project (EVP) is a sanctuary designed to restore the independence, dignity and freedom of the Cambodian Asian elephant population that has long been threatened by humans in the country. It is an eco-tourism program that provides the opportunity for travelers to either visit for a single day experience or a multi-day valley stay, as a chance to observe and learn more about this endangered species. It also provides a number of intern or volunteer options for passionate participants to stay for months, if not years!
EVP is underpinned by Elephant Livelihood Initiative Environment (ELIE), a NGO that represents a taskforce hosting a variety of programs including elephant research and monitoring, and indigenous community based engagement. ELIE works hand in hand with the local Bunong community to foster injured and overworked elephants in the region. In doing so, they also provide an income or value exchange for the community members who are willing to hand over their elephants to be under their care.
Among many initiatives, their primary aim when it comes to elephant welfare is to provide appropriate access to food, water and veterinary services. EVP also prioritizes having sufficient area to enable the elephants to roam with relative freedom and enjoy a social construct that closely mimics their natural habitat, all with non-invasive human interaction.
Human interactions are always from a distance, and under the careful watch of each elephant’s very own “Mahouts.” According to the National Institutes of Health, a Mahouts is by definition, “elephant handlers who work closely with captive Asian elephants in elephant range countries.”
The ELIE organization is spearheaded by Australian Jemma Bullock, a down to earth, no frills, passionate operator. Her personal and heartfelt ethos is clearly indicative of the organization’s broader marketing slogan of ‘No Rides, No Tricks, Just Elephants’. Managing everything from the Mahouts to the marketing, this woman is a gun even on her worst day. We were amazed by how much she does to keep this project running, and how much she genuinely cares about what’s happening to the country she now calls home.
She spoke to us passionately about the current challenges being faced by not only elephants, but other wildlife near and far, and the Bunong people overall. Jemma, like many others we’ve met along the Edges of Earth expedition, believes strongly that the local community holds the key to the long term conservation of the area.
With legal and political loopholes available to certain parties within Cambodia, unethical land-grabbing is seen as the biggest threat in this region, causing elephant habitat loss, food and home insecurity and a wide range of other issues for the communities here. This activity is fuelled purely by capitalistic motives, and it’s the indigenous people suffering at the mercy of these deals being made without regulation or oversight.
By the end of our road trip, we had traveled from Phnom Penh to Kratié (6 hours); then from Kratié to Mondulkiri (5+ hours) and finally back down to Phnom Penh (7 hours.) With so many stops along the way based on Mony’s regular wildlife sightings, we saw so much in such a short period of time. One might think all of this trekking over the course of a week is nonsensical. But for us, it gave us a full immersion into Cambodia’s raw wildlife—and how much is worth protecting here.
Whether birds, dolphins, monkeys or elephants, we all deserve a home or habitat to call our own. One in which we can safely exist, or better yet, thrive. No one creature should suffer at the hands of another, and there’s great wisdom to draw from the indigenous people—who’ve long outlived our presence in these lands–on how to peacefully coexist with nature.
Local employment, job based training, good working conditions and a sustainable source of income are all factors at the forefront of each of SVC’s, Jahoo’s and ELIE’s varied programs aimed at giving back to both humans and animals. Empowering local communities to challenge the primary pressures faced by both humans and wildlife is paramount to ensuring a suitable balance for all in the long term.
To sum it all up: if you’re going to travel to a place like Cambodia, try to fully grasp the bigger picture. And travel the distance, for hours on end, to meet the people at the forefront of change here. As it’s these stewards—from the Bunong to their partners—that are paving a way for a sustainable future for all.
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