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Southeast Asia

Cambodia

Cambodia's eastern forests are at the centre of the Southeast Asian snare crisis. Researchers describe much of the remaining Lower Mekong forest as suffering from 'empty forest…

Wire and cable snares removed by a community anti-snaring patrol in eastern Cambodia laid out for documentation

Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country where WARN's planned work centres on the snare crisis in the Lower Mekong forests — funding de-snaring patrols, providing veterinary triage for snared wildlife, and supporting the rescue of pangolins, sun bears and Asian elephants caught up in cross-border trafficking.

Key Facts About Cambodia

  • Researchers have documented millions of snares set across the Lower Mekong region.
  • Significant proportion of remaining forest now functionally empty of large vertebrates.
  • Pangolins, sun bears, Asian elephants and clouded leopards are all bycatch victims.
  • Siem Reap province banned the dog meat trade in 2020.
  • Our planned Cambodia work funds de-snaring patrols and veterinary triage.
  • Researchers describe much Lower Mekong forest as suffering "empty forest syndrome".
  • Siem Reap province banned the dog meat trade in 2020.

What is the wildlife situation in Cambodia?

Eastern Cambodia (the Eastern Plains landscape, Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri) holds some of the largest remaining lowland deciduous forests in Indochina. These forests are increasingly compromised by motorcycle-cable snares set for bushmeat. The Dog Meat-Free Indonesia / Vietnam / Cambodia coalition has driven progress on the dog and cat meat trade.

What is WARN preparing to do in Cambodia?

Three programmes: (1) funding and training de-snaring patrols in priority protected areas; (2) veterinary triage for animals found alive in snares; (3) supporting evidence collection for prosecutions and cross-border trafficking interdiction.

Why Cambodia matters

The snare crisis is the single largest contemporary threat to wildlife welfare in mainland Southeast Asia. Working at scale here also produces benefit upstream — many of the species snared in Cambodia are trafficked through Vietnam to demand markets further north.

De-snaring patrol capacity

Motorcycle-cable snares set for bushmeat kill indiscriminately. Funding patrol training and equipment in priority protected areas is the highest-leverage welfare intervention in mainland Southeast Asia.

Cross-border trafficking to Vietnam

Species snared in Cambodia frequently enter Vietnam-bound trade routes. Partner grants support evidence collection for prosecutions and interdiction.

Threats to Wildlife in Cambodia

Wire and cable snares

Cross-border smuggling to Vietnam

Habitat loss

Dog meat trade

What WARN Funds in Cambodia

Our Cambodia programme will fund and train de-snaring patrols in priority protected areas, support evidence collection for prosecutions, and provide veterinary triage for animals found alive in snares.

Key Species in Cambodia

Vulnerable

Sun bear

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Endangered

Asian elephant

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Critically Endangered

Sunda pangolin

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Critically Endangered

Indochinese leopard

Cambodia FAQ

Is the dog meat trade legal in Cambodia?
Siem Reap province banned it in 2020 and the national policy direction is toward phase-out. The trade continues in other provinces.
Why is the snare crisis so much worse in Cambodia than elsewhere?
Cambodia's snare crisis is the worst-documented in mainland Southeast Asia, but the underlying problem — cheap, indiscriminate snares set for bushmeat — exists across the Lower Mekong, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
Is the dog meat trade legal in Cambodia?
Siem Reap banned it in 2020; national policy direction is toward phase-out. The trade continues in other provinces.
Why is Cambodia's snare crisis so severe?
Cambodia documents the worst snare density in mainland Southeast Asia, though the underlying bushmeat problem spans the Lower Mekong region.
Does WARN fund moon bears in Cambodia?
Sun bears and moon bears are snare bycatch victims. Bear sanctuary funding in-network concentrates on Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam partners.
What is empty forest syndrome?
Habitat that looks intact but holds almost no large vertebrates because snaring has removed them — documented across eastern Cambodia.
Is Cambodia in WARN's partner network?
Yes — part of the expanded 17-country network with planned de-snaring and veterinary triage programmes.
Can UK donors support Cambodia snare removal?
Gifts to the habitats appeal and elephant appeal fund partner patrol and veterinary work across Southeast Asia including Cambodia.

Rescue Guides for Cambodia

Focused pages for the specific animal rescue searches connected to Cambodia, from trafficking response to sanctuary and veterinary care.

Southeast Asia · Companion animal rescue

Dog and Cat Meat Trade in Southeast Asia

The dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia moves companion animals through high-stress capture, transport and slaughter routes; rescue depends on enforcement, shelter capacity and demand reduction.

Southeast Asia · Exotic pet trade

Slow Loris Pet Trade Rescue

Slow loris pet trade rescue is difficult because trafficked lorises often arrive with clipped teeth, stress injuries and specialist dietary needs after being taken from the wild for viral exotic pet demand.

Slow loris · Pet trade injury

Rescued Slow Loris Teeth Removed

Slow loris teeth are often cut or pulled by traders to prevent biting; rescued lorises with dental damage need urgent veterinary care and may be unable to return to the wild.

UK donors · International cat welfare

Help Stray Cats Abroad

From the UK, you can help stray cats abroad by funding neutering, vaccination, emergency treatment, community cat care and shelter support in countries where local capacity is limited.

UK donors · Dogs and cats abroad

Donate to Help Dogs and Cats Abroad

UK supporters can donate to help dogs and cats abroad by funding partner-led veterinary care, neutering, vaccination, emergency rescue, shelter capacity and humane alternatives to culling or meat-trade suffering.

UK donors · Meat trade intent

Donate to Stop the Dog and Cat Meat Trade

UK supporters can donate to help stop the dog and cat meat trade by funding partner-led seizure rescue, quarantine, rabies-risk veterinary treatment, shelter capacity and demand-reduction work — with Indonesia and Malaysia as WARN's current in-network focus.

UK donors · Symbolic cat adoption

Adopt a Cat Symbolically from the UK

To adopt a cat into your UK home, contact your nearest registered cat rescue or branch for rehoming — WARN does not place cats in UK households, but you can symbolically adopt a cat from £5/month at /adopt/cat to fund partner-led TNVR, vaccination and meat-trade quarantine in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

UK donors · Cat sponsorship

Sponsor a Cat from the UK

You can sponsor a cat from the UK through WARN from £5/month at /adopt/cat or /donate/monthly — sponsorship is pooled recurring support for trap-neuter-vaccinate-return, rabies-risk quarantine after seizures and kitten foster capacity in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, not naming, visiting or adopting an individual cat in a UK shelter pen.

UK donors · Cat charity donations

Donate to a Cat Charity from the UK

You can donate to cat charity from the UK through WARN at /appeals/dog-cat-meat or /donate in GBP — gifts fund community cat TNVR, vaccination and meat-trade quarantine through partners in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, while local UK cat rescue remains the route through your nearest registered branch.

US donors · Symbolic cat adoption

Adopt a Cat from a Charity in the US

To adopt a cat into your US home, contact your nearest local shelter, humane society or cat rescue for rehoming — WARN does not place cats in US households, but you can symbolically adopt a cat from $5/month at /adopt/cat to fund partner-led TNVR, vaccination and meat-trade quarantine in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

US donors · Cat sponsorship

Sponsor a Cat from the United States

You can sponsor a cat from the US through WARN from $5/month at /adopt/cat or /donate/monthly — sponsorship funds community cat TNVR, vaccination and meat-trade quarantine through partners in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, not ownership of an individual cat in a US shelter.

US donors · Cat charity donations

Donate to a Cat Charity from the United States

You can donate to cat charity from the US through WARN at /appeals/dog-cat-meat or /donate in USD — gifts fund community cat TNVR, vaccination and meat-trade quarantine through partners in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, while local US cat rescue remains the route through your nearest shelter or humane society.

Help the Animals of Cambodia

Your donation funds the rescue teams, sanctuaries, and programmes protecting wildlife and street animals across Cambodia.

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