On this photograph taken between 2020- 2021 and launched by Fauna & Flora, elephants roam at Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia.
The Flora & Fauna conservation/AP/Fauna & Flora by way of AP
cover caption
toggle caption
The Flora & Fauna conservation/AP/Fauna & Flora by way of AP
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A genetic examine of Asian elephants in northern Cambodia revealed Thursday reveals a bigger and extra strong inhabitants than beforehand thought, elevating hopes the endangered species might slowly get better.
Researchers from the Fauna & Flora conservation group collected samples from elephant dung in Cambodia’s northern plains and extracted DNA. From the DNA they had been capable of establish particular person elephants, estimate inhabitants dimension, and decide the intercourse of the animals and the general genetic range of the inhabitants.
From their work they estimated that there are 51 elephants within the Prey Lang, Preah Roka, and Chhaeb Wildlife Sanctuaries, with larger genetic range — a “crucial issue for long-term viability,” the researchers stated — than in two different areas of the nation by which they stay.
“With enough appropriate habitat remaining within the area, the inhabitants has the potential to develop if correctly protected,” the report concludes.
On this photograph taken between 2020-2021 and launched by Fauna & Flora, a researcher from the group collects samples from elephant dung at Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia.
The Flora & Fauna conservation/AP/Fauna & Flora by way of AP
cover caption
toggle caption
The Flora & Fauna conservation/AP/Fauna & Flora by way of AP
Total, some 400 to 600 Asian elephants are believed to stay dwelling within the wild in Cambodia. Researchers stated the examine’s findings underscore the potential of the northern space studied to develop into a “nationwide stronghold” for them, contributing to Cambodia’s biodiversity conservation targets.
“Habitat degradation, particularly when it results in fragmentation, continues to be a critical concern,” Pablo Sinovas, director of Fauna & Flora in Cambodia, informed The Related Press.
“This examine offers a strong foundation on which to base conservation efforts and panorama administration.”
The examine, supported by USAID funds and Britain’s Folks’s Postcode Lottery, was performed in collaboration with the Cambodian Surroundings Ministry. The genetic testing was achieved on the Royal College of Phnom Penh with technical help from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
The analysis was carried out within the 2020-21 dry season, however Sinovas stated since elephants reproduce slowly it’s not thought that the inhabitants dimension would have modified considerably since then.
On this photograph taken between 2020-2021 and launched by Fauna & Flora, elephants are seen at Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia.
The Flora & Fauna conservation/AP/Fauna & Flora by way of AP
cover caption
toggle caption
The Flora & Fauna conservation/AP/Fauna & Flora by way of AP
Researchers wish to replicate the examine elsewhere in Cambodia and in different nations, resembling neighboring Vietnam the place the Asian elephants stay in fragmented populations.
“We had been very pleasantly stunned by the outcomes of the challenge,” stated Alex Ball, conservation supervisor for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
“We now hope to increase this system throughout Cambodia and past, serving to to construct a clearer image of Asian elephant numbers, which is able to inform how finest we will work to assist reverse the decline of those spectacular animals.”
