Virachey National Park: Out of the 89 species detected by camera traps in Virachey National Park, about 19 are categorized as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List, according to a new biodiversity survey report released recently.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, among the threatened species, there are 3 critically endangered, 3 endangered, and 13 vulnerable species. Additionally, 5 other species have been classified as near threatened. Notable among these is the critically endangered large-antlered muntjac Muntiacus vuquangensis, an elusive species endemic to the Annamites. This survey included the first known image of a juvenile of this species.
Other significant threatened species recorded included the red-shanked douc langur Pygathrix nemaeus, gaur Bos gaurus, dhole Cuon alpinus, clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, Asiatic black bear Ursus thibethanus, Malayan sun bear Helarctos malayanus, Sunda pangolin Manis javanica, and the ground-dwelling Germain’s peacock-pheasant Polyplectron germaini.
This information is based on 33,800 camera trap images, resulting in 7,209 independent events recorded. Of these records, 2,591 could not be identified beyond the family level and were excluded from the species richness calculations. The remaining 4,618 records comprised 89 species: 41 mammals, 46 birds, and 2 reptiles. An additional 4 genera were detected, including 2 birds and 2 mammals, which were included in richness estimates but could not be identified to species level. Species richness varied between camera stations, with records ranging from 2 to 31 species.
Virachey National Park, a relatively understudied protected area in Northeast Cambodia, spans the Siem Pang district in Stung Treng province, as well as the Veun Sai, Taveng, and Andong Meas districts in Rattanakiri province. As a south-western extension of the Annamite Mountain range, the park serves as a key habitat for endemic flora and fauna not found elsewhere in Cambodia, and despite historic logging, remains a crucial biodiversity refuge. It is one of only two ASEAN Heritage Parks in the country.
Established in 1993 by Royal Decree, Virachey National Park originally encompassed 332,500 ha. A contiguous Biodiversity Conservation Corridor was added by Sub-Decree in 2018, and in July 2023, this corridor was rezoned into the park, increasing the protected area to 405,766 ha. Several Indigenous groups, including the Brao, Kavet, Kreung, Jarai, and Kachork minorities, reside in and around the park, numbering approximately 35,000 people.