4.1 Protected Areas
4.2 Wildlife resource
In November 1st 1993, all edaphic forests around Tonle Sap Great Lake and some 2.8 million hectares of dryland forest were designated for the National Protected Area System (23 protected areas) by a Royal decree, which was issued by His Majesty the King Norodom SIHANOUK. The total area under some form of protection covers 3,402,200 ha or 19 percent of the country's total area and makes Cambodia one of the countries with the highest proportion of land under protection. The protected areas covers representative ecosystems including evergreen, deciduous and edaphic forests and examples of fragile and critical habitats. These areas are classified as National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Protected Landscapes and Multiple-Use Areas and are well distributed throughout the country.
A- Mammal of Mustelidae, Edentata, and reptiles:· A large amount of them living around the edge of the Tonle Sap Great Lake and in the flooded forest surrounding the lake;· An average amount living in the lake and ponds along the bank of the Mekong river and its tributaries:
B- Primates, rabbits, deers, wild pigs, and wild dogs distributing surround the Great Lake and the plain in eastern part of the Mekong river;
C- Elephants (Elephas maximus), Bantengs, Gaurs, Wild water buffalo, along with predator tigers, bears, and panther...distribute in the central plain adjacent to the ranges and upland of forested areas in the eastern Mekong river. Recently, it was estimated that there are about 2000 elephants and 300-600 tigers (Panther tigris corbitti) living through out the country.
D- Birds are living on the high mountainous areas, uplands by the edge of the Tonle Sap Greak Lake, and banks of the Mekong, Basac (Joining to the Mekong river at Phnom Penh capital) rivers, and lakes and ponds along the Mekong river hank.
