Meat and horns from a gaur—a massive, endangered wild ox—were confiscated from motorbikes attempting to smuggle the parts from the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondolkiri province, a wildlife NGO official said.
A group of 13 patrollers—an Environment Ministry official, wildlife organization WWF Cambodia representatives and community members—were on a dirt road during a routine check in the sanctuary’s Keo Seima district when a group of poachers drove past at about 6:30 p.m. on Monday, according to WWF’s press officer Un Chakrey.
The suspects scattered, leaving behind three motorbikes stacked with 160 kg of gaur meat and horns, he said.
They returned at about 3 a.m. but were chased off, Mr. Chakrey said.
He did not know how many people were in the group, but said they had all escaped.
“The meat will be destroyed” and the animal skulls will be kept at the provincial environment department as evidence, and an official police report would be filed, Mr. Chakrey said.
Samrong Divichet, director of the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, could not be reached, while district police chief Sun Bunthoeun declined to comment.
