Takeo: The NatureLife Cambodia Organisation, in collaboration with the Takeo Provincial Department of Environment and the Kampot Provincial Department of Environment, conducted the December 2024 crane census in the Boeng Prek Lpov Protected Landscape of Takeo province and the Anlung Pring Protected Landscape of Kampot province.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the census team comprised 13 participants, including rangers, a military police officer, local community members, a volunteer, and NatureLife Cambodia staff. The census began on the afternoon of Dec. 30, with the observation of crane roosts to record their numbers. On the morning of Dec. 31, before sunrise, the team started to count the cranes as they flew out of the roosts and finalize the data.

The results recorded a total of 52 Sarus Cranes, including 12 juveniles, across the Lower Mekong Delta of Cambodia. In this record, 44 cranes (11 juveniles) were observed in the Boeng Prek Lpov Protected Landscape, while 8 cranes (1 juvenile) were presen
t in the Anlung Pring Protected Landscape. This total marks a decrease of 15 individuals (22.39%) compared to the 67 cranes recorded in December 2023. Census will be conducted another 4 times, and NatureLife Cambodia is looking to see those results before concluding the 2024-2025 census result.

The decrease is attributed to several threats, including habitat conversion, disturbance from human activities such as fishing, and the overgrazing of buffaloes in these protected areas. ‘As civil society organisations dedicated to supporting these critical habitats, we appeal to local communities, authorities, and citizens across Cambodia to protect these wetlands and refrain from consuming any kind of wild animals. Together, we can help ensure the survival of these iconic birds and their habitats,’ said the organisation.