Posted on August, 12 2025
Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary, August 12, 2025 — Mondulkiri marked World Elephant Day 2025 with a strong show of commitment to protecting Cambodia’s last wild Asian elephants, as 100+ students joined provincial leaders, rangers, community patrol members and WWF-Cambodia to pledge their support and learn firsthand about conservation efforts at Tropeang Thmeir Ranger Outpost in the Eastern Plains Landscape. Together, they called for urgent and united action to protect elephants, whose range spans Phnom Prich, Srepok, Keo Seima and Oyadao Wildlife Sanctuaries and crosses into Vietnam’s Yok Don National Park.
Placing youth at the heart of the occasion, students signed a pledge wall before joining a guided forest walk to explore the importance of landscape connectivity, the natural corridors that allow elephants and other wildlife to move freely and survive. Along the way, rangers and community patrol teams shared firsthand stories of removing snares, preventing illegal logging and addressing human-elephant conflict.
“Today inspired me to be part of the solution,” said Seak Sopheaktra, a tenth-grade student. “I learned that every person can make a difference, even by reporting a single illegal activity.”
The Eastern Plains Landscape, locating on the border between Vietnam and Cambodia, is home to one of the largest remaining populations of Asian elephants in the region. WWF-Cambodia and partners are working closely to improve transboundary management of the population. This includes addressing human-elephant conflict by collaborating with local communities on short-term safety measures that reduce negative encounters and enhancing habitat connectivity. Initiatives like camera trap studies also help us better understand elephant movements and behaviour.
Speaking at the event, H.E. Deputy Provincial Governor Ngin Sovimean emphasized the province’s responsibility to its natural heritage. “Here in Mondulkiri, elephants are part of our history, identity and pride,” he said. “We are committed to working with our partners to safeguard the forests and corridors they need to survive.”
WWF-Cambodia Country Director Chap Vibol said conservation in the Eastern Plains Landscape is both a local and regional responsibility. “For more than 20 years, we have worked with authorities, communities and partners to restore forests, protect wildlife and connect habitats,” he said. “Our collaboration with WWF-Vietnam shows that elephant conservation has no borders. By sharing knowledge, addressing human-elephant conflict, and tracking their movements, we can give these magnificent animals a real chance to thrive.”
The Deputy Director of Provincial Department of Environment Din Bunthouen shared: “When we protect elephants, we protect entire ecosystems. Healthy forests give elephants safe passage, but they also provide our people with clean water, sustainable livelihoods and resilience to climate change. That’s why conservation must be everyone’s responsibility.”
The event formed part of WWF’s regional “Elly Allies” campaign, which promotes coexistence between people and elephants across Southeast Asia. Vietnam’s recent approval of its National Elephant Conservation Action Plan, featuring 33 concrete actions for elephant protection, underscores the importance of cross-border collaboration between Cambodia and Vietnam for this iconic species’ survival.
