PHNOM PENH: The Secretary of State and Spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, Neth Pheaktra, has reported that 61,611 animal traps were removed from within protected areas by park officials of the Ministry of Environment, along with conservation partners, in 2021, in an effort to protect and conserve Cambodia's forests and wildlife. The Secretary of State said that this is a 20% increase in the number of traps removed compared to 2020.
He further stated that traps are still a serious threat to all kinds of wildlife and Cambodia is not the only country with the problem of traps spread across protected areas. Conserved forest areas in other Asian countries like Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia are also threatened by millions of traps.
He stressed that these traps are the most threatening factor for wildlife and one of the biggest wildlife killers since trapping materials are so easily available in markets and sold for very cheap. He said the number of traps in Asia is estimated to have increased - more than 12 million traps are currently estimated to be spread across protected areas in the continent.
On behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra expressed his appreciation and gratitude to park rangers, partner organizations and all protected area communities who have participated in the removal of traps from natural forest areas.
He mentioned that rangers have not only patrolled to prevent crime, the destruction of natural resources, and deforestation, but also help to find, remove and destroy traps to save wildlife. As a result, much wildlife caught in traps have been rescued and released back into the wild, and for those animals which are found injured or unwell, park officials contact veterinary officials for care and treatment before releasing them back into the wild.
In addition to wildlife-endangering traps, rangers also confiscated a total of 758 firearms used to hunt wild animals in 2021. The Secretary of State emphasized that the increase in recycled guns also pose a serious threat to wildlife and that these guns are one of the most dangerous weapons.
He further mentioned that chasing dogs also cause harm to wildlife, since some people keep dogs in herds to hunt, which has the secondary effect of spreading diseases of domestic dogs to wild animals and killing them in the process.
The Secretary of State urged people to stop hunting and trapping animals, stop trading wild animals and consuming wild game, and to not believe that eating these wild animals can substitute for medicines or improve health, as increased human to animal contact can increase the risk of spreading other viruses.
