Conservation group Wildlife Alliance rescued 333 animals, including an endangered pileated gibbon, in 12 provinces during the month of July, the NGO announced on its website yesterday.

The Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team successfully conducted 46 operations based on 79 calls to the team’s 24-hour hotline, the organisation said.

One operation on July 1 saw the team rescue a pileated gibbon and a leopard cub from captivity in Kampot province.

The animals were subsequently sent to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center in Takeo province after those keeping the animals as pets were made aware that it was “unsafe, illegal and inhumane”, Wildlife Alliance said.

Other rescued animals included seven pygmy slow lorises, a sun bear, two crested serpent eagles and “dozens of other birds, snakes and turtles”.

Of the 79 calls made to the Wildlife Rescue Hotline, 11 came from Forestry Administration officials, 21 from the general public and 41 from “informants”.