Study says endangered Asian elephant population in Cambodia is more robust than previously thought
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A genetic study of Asian elephants in northern Cambodia published Thursday reveals a larger and more robust population than previously thought, raising hopes the endangered species could slowly recover.
Researchers from the Fauna & Flora conservation group collected samples from elephant dung in Cambodia's northern plains and extracted DNA. From the DNA they were able to identify individual elephants, estimate population size, and determine the sex of the animals and the overall genetic diversity of the population.
From their work they estimated that there are 51 elephants in the Prey Lang, Preah Roka, and Chhaeb Wildlife Sanctuaries, with greater genetic diversity — a 'critical factor for long-term viability,' the researchers said — than in two other areas of the country in which they live.
'With sufficient suitable habitat remaining in the region, the population has the potential to grow if properly protected,' the report concludes.
Overall, some 400 to 600 Asian elephants are believed to remain living in the wild in Cambodia. Researchers said the study's findings underscore the potential of the northern area studied to become a 'national stronghold' for them, contributing to Cambodia's biodiversity conservation goals.
'Habitat degradation, especially when it leads to fragmentation, continues to be a serious concern,' Pablo Sinovas, director of Fauna & Flora in Cambodia, told The Associated Press.
'This study provides a robust basis on which to base conservation efforts and landscape management.'
The study, supported by USAID funds and Britain's People's Postcode Lottery, was conducted in collaboration with the Cambodian Environment Ministry. The genetic testing was done at the Royal University of Phnom Penh with technical support from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
The research was carried out in the 2020-21 dry season, but Sinovas said since elephants reproduce slowly it is not thought that the population size would have changed significantly since then.
Researchers want to replicate the study elsewhere in Cambodia and in other countries, such as neighboring Vietnam where the Asian elephants live in fragmented populations.
'We were very pleasantly surprised by the results of the project,' said Alex Ball, conservation manager for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
'We now hope to expand this methodology across Cambodia and beyond, helping to build a clearer picture of Asian elephant numbers, which will inform how best we can work to help reverse the decline of these spectacular animals.'
____
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Chinese scientists, accused of smuggling biological matter into the US, will stay in jail
Two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material into the United States for use at the University of Michigan will remain in custody after waiving their right to a hearing Friday in federal court. Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han said in separate court appearances in Detroit that they would not challenge the government's request to keep them locked up while their cases move forward. 'This is a constantly evolving situation involving a large number of factors,' Han's attorney, Sara Garber, told a judge. She didn't elaborate and later declined to comment. Advertisement 5 Mugshot of Yunqing Jian, one of the scientists accused, both did not challenge the government's request to keep them imprisoned while their cases move forward. AP 5 Mugshot of Chengxuan Han, who was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after arriving on a flight from China. AP Han was arrested Sunday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after arriving on a flight from China, where she is pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. She planned to spend a year completing a project at the University of Michigan lab, and is accused of shipping biological material months ago to laboratory staff. Advertisement 5 Han sent four packages that 'contained biological material related to round worms' from China, according to court documents. US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan It was intercepted by authorities. The FBI, in a court filing, said the material is related to worms and lacked a government permit. Experts told The Associated Press it didn't appear to be dangerous. Jian's case is different. She is charged with conspiring with her boyfriend, another scientist from China, to bring a toxic fungus into the U.S. Fusarium graminearum can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice. 5 Jian was charged with conspiring with her boyfriend to bring a toxic fungus into the U.S. called Fusarium graminearum that can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice. via REUTERS Advertisement 5 Defense lawyers for Chinese scientist Yunqing Jian, from left, David Duncan, James Gerometta and Norman Zalkind leave federal court. AP The boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, was turned away at the Detroit airport last July and sent back to China after authorities found red plant material in his backpack. Jian, who worked at the university lab, was arrested June 2. Messages between Jian and Liu in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the lab before Liu was caught at the airport, the FBI said. Jian's attorneys declined to comment Friday. Advertisement Federal authorities so far have not alleged that the scientists had a plan to unleash the fungus somewhere. Fusarium graminearum is already prevalent in the U.S. — particularly in the east and Upper Midwest — and scientists have been studying it for decades. Nicknamed 'vomitoxin' because it's most known for causing livestock to throw up, it can also cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache and fever in animals and people. Researchers often bring foreign plants, animals and even strains of fungi to the U.S. to study them, but they must file certain permits before moving anything across state or national borders. The university has not been accused of misconduct. It said it has received no money from the Chinese government related to the work of the three scientists. In a statement, it said it strongly condemns any actions that 'seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tectonic Plates Can ‘Infect' One Another with Earth-Shaking Subduction Zones
Subduction zones, where one tectonic plate dives underneath another, drive the world's most devastating earthquakes and tsunamis. How do these danger zones come to be? A study in Geology presents evidence that subduction can spread like a contagion, jumping from one oceanic plate to another—a hypothesis previously difficult to prove. This result 'is not just speculation,' says University of Lisbon geologist João Duarte, who was not involved in the research. 'This study builds an argument based on the geological record.' Because subduction drags crust deep into the earth, its beginnings are hard to examine. The new study provides a rare ancient example of potential subduction 'infection.' Its authors say they've discovered evidence that neighboring collisions triggered East Asia's 'Ring of Fire,' a colossal subduction system currently fueling earthquakes and volcanoes from Alaska to the southern Indian Ocean. [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] Nearly 300 million years ago China was a scattering of islands separated by the ancient Tethys and Asian oceans. Established subduction zones consumed these oceans, welding the landmasses into a new continent and raising mountains from Turkey to China. By 260 million years ago this subduction seems to have spread and begun pulling down the neighboring Pacific plate. 'The dying act of those closing oceans may have been to infect the Pacific plate and start it subducting westward under the Asian continent,' says study lead author Mark Allen, a geologist at Durham University in England. 'In one form or another, it's been diving down ever since.' The smoking gun in this case is the 'Dupal anomaly,' identified by a geochemical fingerprint from the ancient Tethys Ocean and what is now the Indian Ocean. When the study authors unexpectedly found this signature in volcanic rocks from the western Pacific, they surmised that material from the Tethys had spread eastward across a plate boundary from one subduction zone to another—triggering the neighboring plate's descent. 'It's like seeing someone's fingerprint at a crime scene,' Allen says. But the mechanism of spread remains mysterious. The researchers suspect that transform faults—boundaries where plates slide past one another, like the San Andreas Fault—may act as weak spots where slight changes in collision angle or speed can destabilize dense oceanic crust, causing it to sink. Duarte compares the scenario to aluminum foil in water. 'The foil floats,' he says, 'but the slightest tap will cause it to sink.' If subduction spreads this way, could the Atlantic Ocean's relatively quiet plate margins be next? The massive 1755 Lisbon earthquake hints at early subduction invasion there. Duarte suggests parts of Iberia and the Caribbean are undergoing this process's initial stages: 'In another 100 million years a new Atlantic 'Ring of Fire' may form—just as it once did in the Pacific.'
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
Invasive Asian insects spreading across 20 US states can cause hives, vomiting — and even death
The spotted lanternfly might be the least of your worries this summer. Experts are sounding the alarm about the Asian needle ant — a tiny but dangerous insect moving across the US whose sting can lead to severe and even deadly reactions. As Americans flock outdoors to soak up the sunshine, scientists are urging caution so that your summertime fun doesn't end with a trip to the emergency room. 4 Asian needle ants have a unique and highly painful sting. Samuel – What are Asian needle ants? Known to scientists as Brachyponera chinensis, the Asian needle ant hails from China, Japan and the Koreas. It was first spotted in the States back in the 1930s, according to a report by the US Forest Service (USFS). These ants are small — about 0.2 inches long — with shiny dark brown to black bodies. They're often mistaken for other species, making them easy to miss. Where are they now? Asian needle ants have popped up in 20 states so far, mainly in the Northeast and Southeast, but reports have come in from as far as Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Washington, according to These pests can survive cooler weather and start appearing as early as March, but their numbers peak in June and July. Asian needle ants are often found in moist, shaded areas, like leaf litter, under rocks and inside dead logs. They can also nest in potted plants, under wood piles and in lawns. 4 Asian needle ants are commonly found in forested areas. Diane Macdonald – 'People don't typically notice them,' Dan Suiter, a professor of urban entomology at the University of Georgia, recently told the university. 'Unlike, say, fire ants, which build a mound, the Asian needle ant doesn't establish foraging trails — those lines of ants you can see.' Why are they dangerous? Asian needle ants aren't as aggressive as fire ants and usually flee from humans. But when disturbed — like if you reach into their mulch or wood piles — they'll sting in self-defense. And that sting packs a punch. 'Imagine somebody inserting a needle directly into your flesh,' Benoit Guénard, a professor of ecology and entomology at the University of Hong Kong who studied the ants in North Carolina, told USA Today. 'It's a very sharp, acute pain but it's quite local,' he added. 4 Redness of the skin and mild to severe hives are common symptoms of a sting. RFBSIP – To make matters worse, the pain can come and go in waves. 'The first, initial pain lasted a few seconds. Then about five minutes later, when the pain had eased, I felt 'ouch!' as if somebody had stung me again in the same place,' Guénard said. 'For me, it goes on for about two hours … But I know in some people it lasts for as much as 24 to 48 hours.' Victims can also develop skin reactions like hives, itching and flushed or pale skin. In more serious cases, stings can trigger nausea, vomiting, dizziness, a rapid pulse, swelling of the tongue or throat, difficulty breathing and even psychological symptoms, like a sense of impending doom. The biggest threat is anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can strike within seconds of being stung. 4 If you have a history of allergic reactions to insect stings, you might be at a greater risk for anaphylaxis. brizmaker – A study from the ants' native range found that 2.1% of people stung suffered severe, potentially life-threatening reactions. Experts say those with allergies to other insect stings are especially vulnerable. In Georgia alone, Suiter received three calls last year about anaphylactic shock following stings from Asian needle ants. 'I fully expect that some people who end up in the emergency room were stung by them but didn't realize it,' he told Scientific American. 'If you suffer from anaphylaxis, you should really know what this ant looks like,' he warned. 'And it might be smart to carry an EpiPen.' The USFS urges anyone experiencing an allergic reaction to seek immediate medical attention.
