The Journeys Within team sets off to the Ang Trapaeng Thmor (ATT) Sarus Crane Reserve with Indochine Explorations in search of some of Cambodia’s rarest animals. Here, our resident wildlife expert Regine reviews …
It is an early start this morning as the Journeys Within team heads north-west on one of the main highways. Daylight in Cambodia comes on as quickly as the bustling residents hit the streets — both are in full swing by the time we are on route out of Siem Reap town. Our group is happy to be leaving the city for the day.
As we drive through the country side an atmosphere of excitement starts to spread. We are on the search for Sarus Cranes — the tallest flying birds in the world!
These charismatic birds adorn many advertisements for Southeast Asia, making a lasting impression with their iconic bright red head and neck. Sarus Cranes are a species characteristic of wetlands — they have long legs, long necks, and forage shallow waters with their long beaks. They form life-long pair bonds and sustain territories, both of which they have problems finding as their habitats shrink.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed them as Vulnerable on their Red List, meaning they could become extinct soon if nothing is done for their conservation.
One organization supporting the conservation of Cambodian’s wildlife is Indochine Exploration, a tour company that links tourism to nature conservation. We previously went on a biking trip with them and have now come back for more.
Today our exploration team is headed by Indochine’s expert guides Alistair and Sokhunn, both of which have vast knowledge about Cambodia’s wildlife. After about an hour, our driver Mr. Kong brings us safely to our first stop: a deserted temple ruin. We enjoy our breakfast laid out on mats between these ancient Angkor relics and then off we go!
The landscape rapidly changes into dry and open vegetation; it’s hard to believe this part of the country is completely submerged during the wet season!
Looking for birds along the way, we soon reach the district of Phnom Srok, where a ranger station of the Forestry Administration (FA) (our head quarters for the day) is located.
We are now officially within the Ang Trapaeng Thmor (ATT) Sarus Crane Reserve, a protected area since 2002 that connects nature with the history of Angkorian times. The site used to be an ancient Angkorian causeway and was re-built in Khmer Rouge era as irrigation system for the surrounding rice fields.
The combination of this reservoir, floodplain and the adjacent forest provides an excellent habitat for local wildlife, something that is hard to come by in Cambodia and Southeast Asia in general. Many experienced birders visit Cambodia each year to spot species that have already become extinct in other parts of the region.
The FA rangers that accompany us today are taking their jobs seriously — as we slowly drive through the floodplain they fan out on motorbikes soon bringing back the news of Eld’s deer ahead!
Eld’s deer are critically endangered and indigenous to Southeast Asia, being mostly threatened by deforestation. We drive carefully on and then we see them, a herd of eight animals. They blend perfectly with the deserted and open floodplain but are visibly moving and grazing in the distance. We slowly get into position and enjoy the view as we excitedly talk about the individual animals. For most of us this is the first time to see deer in the wild in Cambodia, though having been here for several years. We are thrilled! Even our Country Director Narla, who grew up in the countryside, enjoys his new found love of binoculars.
With this big find, will we still be lucky enough to find the Cranes? We take the chance and start hiking through the plain, leaving the deer grazing behind. We haven’t been walking for long and there they are, elegantly standing against the backdrop of the scarce landscape!
We see two … and then we see more, around six birds that only move slightly. One crane is showing the species’ distinctive dance moves, which involves jumping and wing flapping, and then we hear a call that Alistair impressively imitates. (See their dancing here at the one minute mark!)
Happy and tired from the morning’s adventures we head back to the Ranger Station for a Cambodian lunch.
After lunch and a rest, it is time for our next venture of heading out to the water reservoir. Indochine Explorations brought their own kayaks along and we find a good spot to set them up. Once on the lake, we kayak around the edge of the reservoir viewing wildlife and more beautiful scenery.
It is hard to believe that this massive baray was indeed built by humans. After paddling about we let ourselves float and just enjoyed the quiet and calm that is sometimes so hard to come by in Siem Reap.
As the Journeys Within team gets ready to head back into the city, we reflect on the animals we had the opportunity to see in their natural habitat, particularly pleased at the idea that rare dear and dancing cranes still have a place in Cambodia.
