Conservationists have announced a “significant achievement” in Cambodia: for the first time, a helicopter successfully guided 16 critically endangered banteng onto a truck for relocation. This marks a crucial step in a country grappling with high rates of deforestation.
Banteng are a species of wild cattle native to Southeast Asia and are classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.
Their natural habitats include forests and grasslands. However, only a few thousand remain in the wild, primarily facing threats from hunting, logging, and industrial activities.
Conservation organizations Rising Phoenix and Siem Pang reported that last week, over a period of three days, 16 wild banteng were herded through a “mass-capture funnel trap” onto a truck before being transported to a wildlife sanctuary.
Notably, a helicopter was utilized for the first time to guide the animals through the funnel system.
The operation took place in Siem Pang, located in northeastern Cambodia.
The conservation groups stated that this innovative method “opens the way for further such operations to relocate Banteng trapped in isolated forest patches elsewhere in the country.”
They added that the relocated banteng will receive ongoing monitoring and protection at the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary.
