A seven-month-old endangered Asian elephant was found dead in Mondulkiri province, with a sharp force injury in the lower part of its chest, said a Ministry of Environment’s statement.
Rangers found the 200kg elephant dead in a forest in Kaoh Nheaek district on Friday.
“An autopsy was carried out, but authorities did not find a bullet in the mammal,” the statement said, adding that a further probe is under way.
“The Ministry of Environment condemns the perpetrators for their crime against the Law on Natural Protected Areas.”
The ministry also called on relevant authorities to launch a thorough investigation into the case to arrest the perpetrators for prosecution in accordance with the law.
Listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are some of the largest mammals on the planet.
Currently, it is estimated that there are 500 to 600 Asian elephants in Cambodia’s natural forests, mainly in the Cardamom Mountains and eastern plains of Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri and Stung Treng provinces. — Xinhua
