Large mammals
Water buffalo. This animal is becoming increasingly rare in the wild. It is domesticated almost throughout the continent. Mainly in the dry season, herds can be seen roaming freely, but they are not wild.
Gaur. This almost prehistoric wild ox, classified as vulnerable, is found throughout the country, albeit in low densities.
Banteng. Thinner in appearance, the Banteng is also a wild ox, often encountered by native hunters who eat its meat.
Deer. Three species can be found: the Eld deer on the plains, and the sambar and muntjac in the forests. You'll find meat (fresh or dried) from all 3 species on the markets.
Ko-prey. Belonging to the bovid family, this animal, considered "possibly extinct", should also be mentioned, as it is the national emblem of Cambodia.
Asian elephant. In 1983, it was estimated that there were around 2,000 individuals left in the wild; today there are between 400 and 600 spread over three main areas: the provinces of Ratanakiri, Mondolkiri and the Cardamom massif.
Malay bears. It's still fairly common to come across them in Ratanakiri and Mondokiri, even though the species is endangered and has fallen sharply in recent decades. It is the smallest bear species in the world.
Tiger. Officially extinct for over 15 years. A reintroduction policy is being promoted by numerous local associations and the government. In the meantime, it remains at the center of many legends.
Panther and clouded panther. They are difficult to observe, but are frequently reported by villagers, without anyone really knowing what they are.
Other species: the quay, or sao la, antelope discovered in 1992 in Vietnam near Cambodia, can be seen in both countries within its territory. Crocodiles can also be found, but it is almost impossible to observe them in their natural state. Today, they are bred on farms. Monkeys, once abundant, have suffered from poaching and are more often seen in captivity. There are also a few wild boar.
The birds
Little is known about Cambodia's avifauna. After recent studies, 530 species have been listed to date, but new ones are added to the list every year, so it's reasonable to assume that over 600 species inhabit the kingdom, more than in the whole of Europe. A remarkable diversity for a country of modest size. Of these, some 40 species are on the Red List of Globally Threatened Species.
Lake Tonlé Sap is a unique and rich habitat, and its flooded forests are home to many waterbirds that are endangered in large parts of the continent. During the dry season, impressive colonies of thousands of different species such as the Indian tantalus, the marabou, the black-headed ibis and the spotted-billed pelican gather. It's at this time of year that cormorants, egrets and whiskered terns swoop down or simply pick at the surface of the fish swimming in clusters in the lake's low waters. In this open-air canteen, they come across kingfishers (no fewer than five different species inhabit the surrounding area), ospreys and bald kites. The same ground is home to endangered species such as the Asian heliornis and the grey-headed eagle, as well as the black ibis, which once swarmed the banks but is now almost totally extinct. On a more positive note, studies sometimes bring good news, such as the recent discovery of a large colony of Bengal floricans, a rare and hard-to-spot species of bustard. Finally, when the waters are at their lowest just before the onset of the rainy season, the muddy banks are populated by hundreds of herons, crab-eaters, egrets and other wading birds treading the mud.
The area to the north of the Tonle Sap and eastwards to the Vietnamese border is covered for the most part by open forest covered with tall grasses and dotted with ponds, the preferred habitat of the giant ibis, once thought to be extinct but which looks set to survive. The antigone crane, measuring over 1.50 m, nests in the savannah forest during the rainy season. In Mondolkiri province, the spiciferous peacock has become rare, due to hunting for its feathers and deforestation.
Around Stung Treng, too, the dry season provides ideal conditions for nesting species on emerged sandbanks. River terns and lapwings, as well as the great auklet, roam the banks when they are not disturbed by dogs, buffalo or humans, or by artificial flooding from upstream dams.
The rainforests of the Cardamom massif are also an ideal habitat for many species. The region is so rich in wildlife that no less than three national parks have been created to try and save the more than three hundred bird species that have been discovered here. While the Cambodian partridge-like torquebird is the most notable, as it is the only one endemic to the country, other magnificent specimens include bearded ducks, parrots, green pigeons, scarlet minivets, timalies, laughing blackbirds and an astonishing type of hummingbird, the soui-manga. The canopy is dominated by impressive two-horned and waved hornbills.
If the exoticism of the dense, wild forest arouses interest, it's no less true that one of the richest landscapes in terms of species is the one you'll encounter most frequently in Cambodia: the cultivated plain, with its fields and rice paddies stretching for miles along the roads. The Indian roller, the palm swift, the azure-tailed bee-eater, the Baya weaver and the tarred traquet are just some of the magnificent species you'll come across along the way. Rice paddies, of course, are found all over the country, and are home to species such as the Oriental Harrier, which feeds on rodents that are accustomed to these fields. Private gardens and orchards of all kinds are home to blackbirds, turtle doves and guava bulbuls. The city itself, as concrete-built as it is, is home to red-backed woodpeckers and sparrows.
The flora
Forests now cover around 46% of Cambodian territory, a figure that has been in sharp decline for decades. This figure has fallen sharply as a result of uncontrolled deforestation (60% in 2010). This forested territory is divided into two predominant categories: dry deciduous forests and dense humid forests. Forests not only play an important ecological role, but are also essential to the daily lives of the population: over 95% of Cambodians use wood for cooking. Economically exploited for building and heating, the Cambodian forest is suffering from uncontrolled deforestation. Flooded forest is one of the main types of forest in Cambodia. A source of abundance for the inhabitants of the Tonlé Sap, it provides them with fruit and vegetables, building materials, animal fodder, plants for traditional medicine and much more. There are also large areas of mangrove, which develops between sea and land in the mud and brackish water on the coast. This is an ecologically rich environment on which many migratory birds depend. Open pine forests can be found in Cambodia, mainly on the Kirirom plateau. Trees generally exceed 20 m in height and have a diameter of between 50 and 60 cm. Bamboo forest, the result of the degradation of dense rainforest by human activity (logging, slash-and-burn), is found throughout the country. Bamboos are used as floats for houses built on the Tonlé Sap, but are also used to make dams and fish traps. Dense rainforest develops in areas with very short or absent dry seasons, on deep soil, in south-west Cambodia and, generally speaking, at the foot of highly-watered mountain screens. It is made up of a wide variety of plants, and the canopy is often over 30 m high. In the undergrowth are representatives of numerous tree and shrub families, as well as palms, rattans and other lianas. Plants that live attached to trunks and branches abound, and include orchids, ficus and ferns. The continuous renewal of leaves gives these forests an evergreen appearance. The dense forest is mainly exploited for its wealth of timber, which is used to make poles for fish dams, boats, houses, etc. Resin trees, in particular, represent an essential source of income for forest communities. Resin is used locally, but also exported in large quantities. This forest product provides a monthly income for each family of up to fifty dollars.
A large part of the territory is also occupied by agriculture: rice paddies, cornfields, tobacco fields, etc., complement the wild flora. Although Cambodia is a vast territory in which flora in its natural state is in many respects still prominent, human intervention, which is becoming increasingly important as the country advances technologically, is a cause for great concern as regards maintaining the ecological balance.
