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Game hunting park proposed for Cambodia |
Associated Press has reported that the Cambodian government is
looking over a proposal by Madrid-based NSOK Safaris to convert a
large tract of jungle in Cambodia’s north east into a game
hunting park.
NSOK Safaris has set its sights on 247,100 acres of jungle in
Cambodia’s Rattanakiri province, around 200 miles north of
Phnom Penh. In addition to the game hunting park, the project will
see the construction of bungalows and luxury lodgings. Dany
Chheang, deputy director of the Wildlife Protection Office of
Cambodia's Agriculture Ministry told Associated Press that NSOK
made the proposal more than two years ago, but it was unclear how
much money the company was wiling to invest in the project. Despite
this, Chheang believes that the hunting safaris would complement
the government's efforts to diversify options for eco-tourism
activity in Cambodia. Tourism is now one of Cambodia's largest
foreign exchange earners. At the same time, the project could harm
several endangered species living in the area. Around 30 types of
animals, including deer, wild boar and birds have already been
proposed for hunting. "Anything that threatens the survival of
already endangered species is not a good thing for conservation in
Cambodia," said Chris Greenwood from the World Wildlife Fund in
Cambodia who requested the government release more information
about the plan.
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