CAMBODIA: Poachers turn gamekeepers in eco-tourism projects

A community ranger riding an elephant in Srepok Protected Forest in Cambodia's eastern Mondulkiri province (Photo: Brendan Brady/IRIN)

MONDULKIRI, 24 November 2009 (IRIN) - Poaching was a serious business for Chran Thabb - until his tracking skills were put to better use protecting his former prey. He is one of 45 rangers in the remote eastern province of Mondulkiri recruited for a grassroots tourism project that uses employment incentives to encourage environmental conservation.

"Before, whenever I saw an animal in the forest, my first thought was to shoot it," said Chran, now a guide for treks around Dei Ey village, in a protected forest area in Mondulkiri.

"I don't do that any more. The animals would become extinct and I want the next generation to see them," he said.

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