Camera Trap Study Highlights Cambodia's Mangrove Forests as Critical Habitat for Rare Fauna

A comprehensive seven-year scientific study has found that Cambodia's coastal and riverine mangrove forests provide essential habitats for multiple threatened and elusive animal species. Researchers from the Phnom Penh-based private organization Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise utilised camera traps to monitor 156 sites between 2017 and 2023. The monitoring took place within the Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent Koh Kapik Ramsar site, which together constitute the largest expanse of mangroves in Cambodia.

Footage captured by the cameras documented several notable mammals inhabiting the wetlands. Fishing cats were recorded navigating mangrove thickets away from shorelines, while smooth-coated otters patrolled fringe river channels. Additionally, leopard cats and hairy-nosed otters were observed favouring riverine mangroves, and large-spotted civets moved through swamp forests dominated by paperbark trees.

Despite the rich biodiversity documented, the monitoring data indicated that four threatened species experienced population declines over the course of the research period. These declining populations included the endangered long-tailed macaque and large-spotted civet, alongside the vulnerable fishing cat and smooth-coated otter. Conversely, the common palm civet was the only adaptable species that demonstrated signs of an increase, whereas the critically endangered Sunda pangolin and the endangered hairy-nosed otter proved difficult for researchers to detect consistently.

Vanessa Herranz Muñoz, the study's corresponding author and director of Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise, emphasised the necessity of safeguarding diverse surrounding ecosystems. She noted that protecting adjacent Melaleuca forests is vital for the endangered large-spotted civet, while riverine mixed mangroves are critical for the hairy-nosed civet and the hairy-nosed otter, the latter of which is regarded as the world's rarest otter species.

The research team also mapped the spatial distribution of the animals in relation to human settlements. Species such as fishing cats, smooth-coated otters, and long-tailed macaques demonstrated a tolerance for human proximity, frequently appearing in photographs near villages. However, hairy-nosed otters, large-spotted civets, and Sunda pangolins tended to avoid populated areas.

Notwithstanding evidence of peaceful coexistence near local communities, the researchers highlighted ongoing concerns regarding poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat degradation driven by fires and urbanisation. Herranz Muñoz stated that collaborative efforts involving the Cambodian government, conservation organisations, and local communities are required to protect these interconnected habitats from further loss.