Copyright 2001 Reuters
December 12, 2001

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Reuters) -- Cambodian poachers killed about 100 wild elephants, tigers, leopards and rare bears in the past 18 months, threatening the survival of those species in the country, conservationists said on Wednesday.

The numbers of endangered animals killed by hunters makes poachers the main threat to the survival of Cambodia's dwindling elephant and tiger populations, they said.

"If this rate of poaching continues, elephants and tigers will be extinct in the foreseeable future," said Hunter Weiler of the U.S.-based Cat Action Treasury (CAT).

"At the current rate of attrition these species my not be biologically viable in three to five years," he told Reuters at his office.

A total of 225 large mammals were killed in three of Cambodia's 24 provinces between May 2000 and October 2001, according to a new report compiled by CAT wildlife rangers.

The animals killed included 26 elephants, 20 tigers, 3 leopards, 47 bears and over 100 wild deer and other species, the report said.

Weiler said the number of large animals killed in Cambodia's remaining 21 provinces would push the nationwide total higher.

Elephant and tiger body parts are highly prized for use in traditional Chinese medicine and poachers can earn large sums from the trade. Deer are also popular for food and medicinal purposes.

Experts estimate between 300 and 600 wild elephants still live scattered in remote parts of Cambodia. The country's tiger population is estimated to be even lower.

Cambodia has laws to protect endangered animals but three-decades of civil war, including the 1970s Khmer Rouge "killing fields" regime, has left the country poor and the judicial system open to corruption.

Arresting poachers is also difficult as many illegal hunting operations involve police and military personnel. Error: Unable to read footer file.