Ben Davis extinguishes a fire, which he believes was started by poachers. Tan Kimsour
More than $14,000 had been donated to American-born forest activist Ben Davis as of Monday, February 24, to support his ongoing efforts to protect over 50,000 hectares of forest, particularly from the threat of wildfires during the current dry season.
Satellite imagery shows that between 30,000 and 40,000 hectares of forest have already burned, primarily due to human activity. Key bridges used for transportation have also been destroyed by fire.
The donations followed a February 22 appeal from Davis and Tan Kimsour, president of the Nature Lovers Youth Association.
This appeal came after Davis exhausted both external funding and his personal savings. He even had to borrow money from friends to continue his conservation work in the Phnom Tnout protected area.
“The dry season brings serious wildfire problems. Fire prevention is exhausting work. The most exhausting moments are when fires break out because we have to respond immediately and put them out,” explained Davis.
In addition to battling wildfires, Davis also faces opposition from certain local residents who are unhappy with his forest protection efforts, as he and his team actively prevent illegal logging and other environmental violations.
He revealed that he spends about $2,000 per month on forest patrols with local communities and another $1,000 on other relevant conservation activities.
Kimsour has called on the public to contribute, suggesting that if each supporter contributes 4,000 riel ($1) per month, he could continue his work.
He warned that without sufficient support, conservation activities might be halted, leading to further destruction of the forest and its wildlife.
“There are 17 million Cambodians. Can we find just 3,000 people to donate? One dollar a month is enough. If you have more wealth, you can give more. He only needs $3,000 per month to protect over 50,000 hectares of forest,” he appealed.
He remained confident that at least one million Cambodians care about nature and are willing to help.
“The only areas that haven’t burned are near Phnom Tnout. But most of the other places have gone. We can’t extinguish the fires in time. Two bridges have completely burned, and another has been partially damaged,” Davis told The Post.
“Satellite images confirm that fires have spread everywhere. These are not natural fires; they are started by poachers. They bring dogs into the forest to hunt turtles, red muntjac and monitor lizards, among other species … When their dogs struggle to catch prey in dense grass or forested areas, they set fires to clear it, making it easier to hunt,” he explained.
The Phnom Tnout–Phnom Pok Wildlife Sanctuary was expanded from 42,097 hectares to 51,730 hectares across Preah Vihear and Siem Reap provinces in 2023.
Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Environment announced that Cambodia has not experienced severe wildfires, claiming that most of the fires were limited to waste, straw, grass and rice husks.
