Meet the flora and fauna in Samlaut.

Before you can protect the biodiversity of an area, you have to know what's in it. But without a record of which species live where, every decision — from cadence of ranger patrol to municipal boundary lines — becomes a shot in the dark.

The Samlaut Multiple Use Area covers parts of Battambang and Pailin Provinces and holds a wide range of rare plants and wildlife, including several critically endangered species. We commissioned a full biodiversity survey with Fauna & Flora and the Cambodian Ministry of Environment to document it.

The survey recorded invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. It confirmed the presence of endangered and critically endangered species, including the Sunda pangolin and the Asian elephant. You can read the full survey here:

Read the Samlaut Biodiversity Report, Cambodia 2023 | Fauna & Flora →

The survey still shapes the work today. The species it recorded are the ones our rangers patrol to protect, and in 2025 those patrols cleared close to 7,800 meters of wire snares. The findings also feed the zoning of the Multiple Use Area, which is underway with the Ministry of Environment and due to finish in 2026. That process will set the rules for how the land is used and protected for years to come.