Ministry of Environment officials and conservation partners earlier this week visited a 90ha natural forest area preserve in Koh Kong province, which has been prepared for the rehabilitation of tigers.

The visit came after a meeting between environment minister Say Samal and Satya Prakash Yadav, director-general of forests under the Indian National Tiger Conservation Authority, on March 5 to discuss the progress of a tiger conservation project in the Cardamom Mountains in Cambodia.

The visit to the area was made by helicopter and attended by Loeung Kesarao, deputy head of the ministry’s General Department of Nature Protection and Conservation, Suwanna Gaunlet and Hout Sokun of the Wildlife Alliance, Thomas Gray, representative of World Wide Fund for Nature Cambodia (WWF Cambodia), and the Indian delegation led by Yadav. The visit was also joined by Rajesh Gopal, secretary-general of the Global Tiger Forum

The team went to see the Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary, Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, and Central and Northern Cardamom Mountain Park.

The team also inspected the construction of metal fences, cages and a pond. This infrastructure will be used to adapt the tigers before they are released into the core preservation area.

The ministry said the Indian delegation appreciated Cambodia’s efforts to protect its natural resources, and noted that India views the Kingdom as a strategic area for tiger rehabilitation programmes.