Off to safety: A herd ofBanteng roaming the grasslands in Siem Pang were later herded using a helicopter (pic, below) to move them to a sanctuary. — AFP
A helicopter successfully herded 16 critically endangered banteng onto a truck in Cambodia for the first time, conservationists said, marking a “significant achievement” in a country with high rates of deforestation.
Banteng are a type of wild cattle native to South-East Asia and listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.
-AFP
Their natural habitat is forests and grasslands, but only a few thousand remain in the wild.
Cambodia has lost around 33% of its tree cover since 2000, according to Global Forest Watch, as the government allows firms to clear vast tracts of land – including in protected zones.
Conservation groups said that 16 banteng found in the wild were herded over three days last week through a “mass-capture funnel trap” and relocated to a wildlife sanctuary.
For the first time, a helicopter was used to guide them through the funnel. — AFP
