Rangers removed 266 snares from the Chhay Areng protected area in Koh Kong province’s Thma Bang district last week, saving wild boars that are most vulnerable to them and many other animals, said Wildlife Alliance Cambodia.

Posting on its Facebook page on Tuesday, it said: “Last week, our rangers from Chhay Areng dismantled and confiscated 266 snares, considered one of the biggest threats to wildlife in Southeast Asia.”

Four pictures of rangers posing with the snares were also posted. An official said they removed and seized traps from poachers on a daily basis as they patrolled the protected area. The traps are impounded at the Chhay Areng station.

“The snares catch multiple species of wildlife animals,” an environmental officer with Wildlife Alliance said.

Koh Kong provincial Department of Environment director Morm Phalla said the most seen wildlife at Chhay Areng are wild boars, elephants, and Red Muntjac. Most vulnerable to the snares, he said, were wild boars and Bengal monitors.

He said 112 rangers patrolled Chhay Areng and nearby areas daily. The owners of the traps are locals who catch wildlife for its meat.

“Incidents of deploying snares to catch wildlife is not increasing, but has decreased a little because of our regular proactive actions to crack down on the crime,” Phalla said.

Thma Bang district governor On Sothearith said on Wednesday that, working in conjunction with Wildlife Alliance, the district hall has sent officials to educate communities and raise awareness of the wildlife preservation work.

“In addition, we hold public forums at different villages once or twice a month to promote the usefulness of wildlife and other related natural resources, calling on the villagers not to hunt animals, especially at Chhay Areng and Chi Phat,” he said.