Endangered banteng discovery in Cambodia

This video is called Tribute to the Banteng.

From Wildlife Extra:

Wild cattle thought extinct discovered in Cambodia’s Siem Reap Province

Camera traps have captured six individual banteng (Bos javanicus) in Siem Reap Province, north-western Cambodia, in an area where the endangered wild cattle species was thought to be extinct.

Hoof prints and dung were also found at the site.

The banteng discovery in Cambodia’s north-west is significant, as few populations remain in the region due to hunting and habitat reduction.

Prior to this discovery the species had not been confirmed in this area of Siem Reap Province for many years.

Banteng once roamed in vast herds through Southeast Asia, but now are listed as globally Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and are facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. They are at risk due to poaching inside protected areas, habitat reduction, hybridisation with domestic cattle and infections from domestic cattle diseases.

Today, banteng in Cambodia are found primarily in the eastern plains of Mondulkiri Province and the northern plains of Preah Vihear Province. Three years ago Wildlife Extra reported on the plight of those wild cattle on the eastern plains in Cambodia.

Deputy Provincial Governor of Siem Reap Province, His Excellency Mao Vuthy, said: “Now we have real evidence of banteng, we need to educate local villagers to show the advantages of protecting biodiversity and wildlife.

“Public education about conservation and Community Forest protection training, such as community patrols, and using Global Positioning System technology to record forest crimes and wildlife movements, are important.’’

Cambodia is home to an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 individual banteng, the largest remaining world population of the species, according to 2013 WWF figures. However, its research also shows an 80 per cent decline in Cambodia’s banteng population in the last 24 years.

Flora & Fauna International biologist Mr Eam Sam Un said: “Banteng play a crucial role in many ecological processes, including nutrient cycling, large seed dispersal, maintaining food chains and influencing the composition of plant communities through their grazing and browsing activities.

“They also constitute a critical food source for many large carnivore species, such as tiger, leopard and Asiatic wild dog.’’

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