Conservationists have discovered a rare nest of camouflaged webbed feet at Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia, the primary nest of its kind in 4 years, raising hopes for its continued survival.
The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society announced that its scientists, along with ecologists from the Cambodian Ministry of the Environment and residents of the Memay River within the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary, discovered the one confirmed breeding site in Cambodia of a really rare species.
“I am proud of this discovery because it is a very rare species. We have not recorded any nests since 2013. As part of the nest protection program, we have employed two local residents to protect the nest to prevent any damage and disturbance,” said Rours Vann, head of the Ministry of the Environment/Wildlife Conservation Society research team at Kulen Promtep Wildlife Reserve.
The masked fin whale (Heliopais personatus) is on the International Nature Conversation Union’s Red List as a globally endangered species because its global population is declining at an alarming rate.
This riverine species lives only in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It is an aquatic bird, also often known as the Asiatic fin bird, known for being very shy and having a protracted neck.
According to researchers from Nature Conservation Societythe worldwide population of masked webbed feet is lower than 1,000 individuals, while little is understood about population numbers in Cambodia.
“Department of the Environment staff at KPWS work closely with local wildlife rangers employed by WCS to protect and monitor river networks for the Masked Fin. DoE rangers conduct law enforcement patrols in key breeding and feeding habitats,” said Song Chansocheat, deputy director of environment for Preah Vihear province.
“This discovery provides further evidence that the Northern Plains of Cambodia is an important biodiversity hotspot and a critical area for conserving the breeding habitat of globally threatened waterbirds,” Alistair Mold, Technical Advisor, Northern Plains of Cambodia.
The Kulen Promtep Nature Reserve in Preah Vihear province is home to many endangered bird species, including the globally endangered masked finned ibis, the enormous ibis and the white-shouldered ibis, Nature Conservation Society he said.
Earlier this month, seven eggs belonging to the globally endangered white-winged duck were present in a Koki tree at Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary. It was the primary such nest discovered during five years of research.
Last month, WCS discovered a critically endangered Siamese crocodile nest of 19 eggs near the Sre Ambel River in Koh Kong province for the primary time in six years of research.
