Ang Trapaing Thmor
Encyclopedia
The Ang Trapaing Thmor Crane Sanctuary is a protected area of Cambodia
on the site of a large Khmer Rouge
irrigation project built during the 1970s. The sanctuary was gazetted on the 1st of January, 1999 and covers an area of 10,250 hectares. The reserve was set aside to protect the rare Eastern Sarus Crane (Grus antigone sharpii). Prior to the discovery of the crane at Trapaing Thmor, there were thought to be fewer than 1,000 of the birds left alive in the world.
. The entire 10,000 hectares of the protected area is contained within Phnom Srok District
of Banteay Meanchey Province. Phnom Srok district shares a border with Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey Provinces. Reading from the north clockwise, Phnom Srok borders with Banteay Ampil and Chong Kal districts of Oddar Meanchey province to the north. The eastern border of the district is shared with Srei Snam and Kralanh districts of Siem Reap province. To the south the district shares a border with Preah Net Preah District of Banteay Meanchey. The western border of the district joins with Svay Chek and Thmor Pouk districts also of Banteay Meanchey. The sanctuary can be accessed by road from Sisophon (70 km) or Siem Reap (city) (90 km) via National Highway 6
initially then via smaller unsealed district roads to Ang Trapaing Thmor.
in northern Pakistan
and India
(especially Central India and the Gangetic plains), Nepal
, Southeast Asia
and Queensland
, Australia
. It is a very large crane
, averaging 156 cm (5 ft) in length, which is found in freshwater marsh
es and plain
s.
(Rucervus eldii) and three globally threatened turtle species, the Asian Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis), the Malayan Snail Eating Turtle (Malayemys subjriguga) and the Elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) are also found within Ang Trapaing Thmor.
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
on the site of a large Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
irrigation project built during the 1970s. The sanctuary was gazetted on the 1st of January, 1999 and covers an area of 10,250 hectares. The reserve was set aside to protect the rare Eastern Sarus Crane (Grus antigone sharpii). Prior to the discovery of the crane at Trapaing Thmor, there were thought to be fewer than 1,000 of the birds left alive in the world.
Location and access
The Crane sanctuary is located in north western Cambodia, not far from the border with ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The entire 10,000 hectares of the protected area is contained within Phnom Srok District
Phnom Srok District
Phnom Srok District is a district in the east of Banteay Meanchey Province, in north-western Cambodia. The district capital is Phnom Srok town located around 52 kilometres north east of the provincial capital of Sisophon by road. Phnom Srok District is the eastern-most district of Banteay Meanchey...
of Banteay Meanchey Province. Phnom Srok district shares a border with Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey Provinces. Reading from the north clockwise, Phnom Srok borders with Banteay Ampil and Chong Kal districts of Oddar Meanchey province to the north. The eastern border of the district is shared with Srei Snam and Kralanh districts of Siem Reap province. To the south the district shares a border with Preah Net Preah District of Banteay Meanchey. The western border of the district joins with Svay Chek and Thmor Pouk districts also of Banteay Meanchey. The sanctuary can be accessed by road from Sisophon (70 km) or Siem Reap (city) (90 km) via National Highway 6
National Highway 6 (Cambodia)
National Highway 6 or National Road No.6 is one of the national highways of Cambodia. At long, it connects the capital of Phnom Penh with Banteay Meanchey....
initially then via smaller unsealed district roads to Ang Trapaing Thmor.
History
The site of Ang Trapaing Thmor reservoir is also the site of an ancient Angkorian causeway.Sarus Crane
The Sarus Crane, Grus antigone is an all-year resident breeding birdBird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in northern Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(especially Central India and the Gangetic plains), Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a very large crane
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
, averaging 156 cm (5 ft) in length, which is found in freshwater marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s.
Other fauna
Ang Trapaing Thmor sanctuary is also an important conservation area for a number of other threatened species. One globally threatened primate species, the Long Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is found within the sanctuary. One globally threatened ungulate species, the Eld's DeerEld's Deer
Eld's Deer , also known as the Thamin or Brow-antlered Deer, is an endangered species of deer indigenous to southeastern Asia. The species was first discovered by westerners in Manipur in India in 1839. The original scientific name Cervus eldi was coined in 1844 in honour of Lt. Percy Eld – a...
(Rucervus eldii) and three globally threatened turtle species, the Asian Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis), the Malayan Snail Eating Turtle (Malayemys subjriguga) and the Elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) are also found within Ang Trapaing Thmor.