The community of the Canyon Preng Scenic Reserve opens the season to visit the best crane herds!!!

The Canyon Preng Scenic Protected Area, located in Kampong Trach District, Kampot Province, is a sanctuary and an important source of food for a wide variety of cranes and migratory birds.

The wetland area attracts cranes during December to April in search of food, and in early May, those migratory birds make a migration to the spawning site to reproduce.

According to the Ministry of Environment, "During the foraging season from December to April, cranes migrate to the northwest and southeast of Cambodia, where they are important habitats for health supplements for the breeding season, especially in the Mekong Delta region of Cambodia, including the Canyon Preng Scenic Protected Area and the Pumpkin Lake Protected Area.and June."

Mr. Bo Worosak, Chairman of NatureLife Cambodia, said that despite being in a small protected area of only 210 hectares, the location is attractive and popular with cranes during the non-breeding season from December to May.

The presence of these cranes in the community of the Canyon Preng Scenic Reserve accounts for up to 50 percent of the crane population across Cambodia.

He explained: "This is because the location is rich in crocodile feed, such as pomegranate and farmers' rice varieties, including pomegranate seeds and pomegranate seeds."

However, he said that the challenge is that some farmers stop planting these two types of rice varieties and their farms use high chemical fertilizers, which causes the crocodiles to die.

He added that Nature Life Cambodia, formerly Bird Life, initiated the Friendship Rice Project by encouraging farmers to reduce the use of chemicals and maintain the cultivation of rice varieties that are preferred by cranes, as well as not disturbing and hunting cranes with a total of 12 conditions.

He told Phnom Penh Post: "Currently, 120 farmer families are involved in rice farming, which makes their fields safer and less prone to harmful substances.

The community of the Canyon Preng Scenic Reserve will have a presence of approximately 80 cranes and continue until May.

He said: "In this canyon area, give the gift to see the cranes, just by looking at the tower or from the road, we will see the cranes in a natural location only."

The community provides tourism services that provide both food and guides to visit the cranes and some other areas such as the Water Mountains and Kampong Trach Mountains.

The 1st Crane Census in the new season was conducted at the end of 2024 and found 123 cranes, of which this number was recorded from different regions throughout Cambodia.