An approximately three-tonne deceased male elephant is pulled from the waters of a bomb crater in Mondulkiri province on Oct 6. - Environment ministry
PHNOM PENH: Tissue samples from a male elephant weighing approximately three tonnes, found dead in a B-52 bomb crater in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province, were taken to Phnom Penh for further analysis on Monday (Oct 7) to determine the exact cause of death.
Local community members discovered the roughly 30-year-old Asian elephant in the crater – a remnant from a past war – in Ou Am village in Keo Seima district’s Sre Khtum commune on Oct 5.
After receiving the report, expert officers collaborated with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) officers and local authorities to retrieve the pachyderm on the evening of Oct 6.
On the morning of Oct 7, officials from the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, the provincial Departments of Environment and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and WCS conducted a necropsy and took samples for further testing, according to provincial environment department acting director Din Bunthoeun.
“This morning, we took some samples at the scene and sent them to Phnom Penh for analysis to find out why it died,” Bunthoeun told The Post.
He added that upon inspecting the carcass, an injury on its front left leg was found, although it had still been able to walk just months ago. He explained that the elephant was part of a herd of 10 to 20 that had been spotted in the area in April.
“It didn’t fall into the crater. We believe it had a leg injury and came down to drink but couldn’t walk back up. We’ve taken water from the crater and samples from the elephant for testing to check for toxins in the water or its internal organs. We can’t make any conclusions until the autopsy is completed,” he added.
He noted that due to the difficulty of transporting the elephant's remains from the rubber plantation, the team found a safe location to bury the body after taking the specimens.
This marks the third elephant death in Mondulkiri this year. In January, a baby elephant died after being shot with a firearm, and in May, a female elephant died after being rescued from mud in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, due to severe leg injuries and prolonged starvation.
Initial findings suggest the large mammal had been trapped for one or two days before succumbing. Local villagers discovered the carcass and reported it to park rangers from the provincial environment department, according to the environment ministry.
Ministry spokesman Khvay Atiya expressed deep regret over the elephant’s death, calling it a significant loss of natural resources.
He noted that wild pachyderm sightings in Mondulkiri’s protected areas have become more frequent in recent years, indicating that elephant populations are thriving and reproducing. This, he said, is a positive sign of improved natural resource management and biodiversity conservation efforts in the region.
Atiya called for stronger cooperation from all stakeholders, including local residents, to improve elephant conservation efforts, particularly in protecting their natural habitats.
He also urged efforts to reduce human-elephant conflict, prevent poaching and expand green habitats by increasing forest cover to allow elephants and other wildlife to thrive peacefully.
Asian elephants are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (RLTS), with an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 remaining globally. Approximately 75 per cent of these reside in India and Sri Lanka, the ministry noted.
DNA studies conducted by the ministry and its partners suggest that around 350 Asian elephants live in protected areas across Cambodia.
The total elephant population in the country is estimated at 400 to 600, primarily residing in the Cardamom Mountains and the eastern highlands of Mondulkiri and Ratanakkiri provinces, regions rich in biodiversity and crucial for the survival of elephants and other wildlife. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
