Sihanoukville
The history of Sihanoukville goes back only as far as 1955 when the area was then known as kampong Saom. In August of that year a group of construction workers made camp in an area of the jungle which they decided was unoccupied. This was to be the base camp for the building of the new port of Kampong Saon. 1954, Indochina, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were one unit within French authority. It was during this time that Cambodia continued to maintain control of the international sea trade on the Mekong river. The dissolution of the French Indochina in 1954, meant that the Mekong Delta could revert back to the control of the Vietnam. The Vietnam administered support to access the ocean by putting into action the construction and building of the port. They decided on Kampong Saon because of its depth of water and because it was more accessible.
Sihanoukville has since become a resort which is offering a wide scale of activities and top class holiday accommodation. It is five minutes away from Sokha beach and is about a kilometre long. it is well kept and and open to the public.
Siamese crocodiles have been in decline for a number of years. According to experts, they say there are only 250 Siamese crocodiles left that are roaming wild in Cambodia. Some have spread themselves over a wider area than what was originally thought. The area now cover includes Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and possibly Thailand.
It was recently noted, that a nest of 22 eggs had been found, out in the Cardamom mountains in Cambodia. The nest was found in the jungle by a researcher who had been on the look out for crocodile eggs... Fifteen of the eggs were removed from the nest and taken to safety. They were then placed in a compost heap incubation area to stay until they hatched. The others were left behind as the researcher thought they might not hatch at all. A camera trap had been set up to keep an eye on the eggs in the nest in case of predators.
Shortly afterwards the fifteen eggs began to hatch naturally, and it showed that the other seven were hatching also. Only a small amount of these crocodiles will survive and it will take up to fifteen years for each one to reach maturity.
Due to the decline in numbers these crocodiles have been listed critically endangered reptiles. The Chouerng people believe that the crocodiles are forest spirits and should not be harmed in anyway. Hopefully the young Siamese crocodiles will be taken care of until they are a year old. They will be allowed to return to a wild but somewhere where they will hopefully be protected. The harsh world of hunters are out there who love their soft skin, also the breeders who stock them to cross with larger crocodiles. This will weaken their species and the fear is that they may become through time extinct.
The operation to protect and hatch the eggs was mounted by United Kingdom-based Fauna and Flora International, for whom conservation of this once-abundant species is a key program.
The history of Sihanoukville goes back only as far as 1955 when the area was then known as kampong Saom. In August of that year a group of construction workers made camp in an area of the jungle which they decided was unoccupied. This was to be the base camp for the building of the new port of Kampong Saon. 1954, Indochina, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were one unit within French authority. It was during this time that Cambodia continued to maintain control of the international sea trade on the Mekong river. The dissolution of the French Indochina in 1954, meant that the Mekong Delta could revert back to the control of the Vietnam. The Vietnam administered support to access the ocean by putting into action the construction and building of the port. They decided on Kampong Saon because of its depth of water and because it was more accessible.
Sihanoukville has since become a resort which is offering a wide scale of activities and top class holiday accommodation. It is five minutes away from Sokha beach and is about a kilometre long. it is well kept and and open to the public.
Siamese crocodiles
Wildlife National Park
Siamese crocodiles have been in decline for a number of years. According to experts, they say there are only 250 Siamese crocodiles left that are roaming wild in Cambodia. Some have spread themselves over a wider area than what was originally thought. The area now cover includes Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and possibly Thailand.
It was recently noted, that a nest of 22 eggs had been found, out in the Cardamom mountains in Cambodia. The nest was found in the jungle by a researcher who had been on the look out for crocodile eggs... Fifteen of the eggs were removed from the nest and taken to safety. They were then placed in a compost heap incubation area to stay until they hatched. The others were left behind as the researcher thought they might not hatch at all. A camera trap had been set up to keep an eye on the eggs in the nest in case of predators.
Shortly afterwards the fifteen eggs began to hatch naturally, and it showed that the other seven were hatching also. Only a small amount of these crocodiles will survive and it will take up to fifteen years for each one to reach maturity.
Due to the decline in numbers these crocodiles have been listed critically endangered reptiles. The Chouerng people believe that the crocodiles are forest spirits and should not be harmed in anyway. Hopefully the young Siamese crocodiles will be taken care of until they are a year old. They will be allowed to return to a wild but somewhere where they will hopefully be protected. The harsh world of hunters are out there who love their soft skin, also the breeders who stock them to cross with larger crocodiles. This will weaken their species and the fear is that they may become through time extinct.
The operation to protect and hatch the eggs was mounted by United Kingdom-based Fauna and Flora International, for whom conservation of this once-abundant species is a key program.
That's a fearsome looking croc, Jenni. Wildlife blogs are a avourite of mine, especially when they are about countries and animal etc that I haven't visited or seen in their natural surroundings.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI saw a picture of beautiful newly hatched croc in the water, all you could see were big round eyes and a nose. I wanted to use it for my post but couldn't find a photographers to ask if I could use it, sadly.
So, I had to make do with the one you saw. I don't think he does my post justice,"What do you think?' Lol!
Good of you to call by. Jenni