US Helps Cambodia Protect Asian Elephant

PHNOM PENH, March 31 (Bernama) -- The US Government has granted nearly US$50,000 to help Cambodia protect the endangered Asian elephant, the Vietnam news agency (VNA) quoted the US embassy in Cambodia, as saying.The sum will be pumped through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the embassy said.Since 2002, the US Government has allocated over US$1 million for raising public awareness and implementing measures to conserve Asian Elephant in Cambodia.According to WWF, Asian elephants are listed as "endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.Asian elephant numbers are estimated to be down to around 40,000 animals left in the wild with over 600 living in Cambodia.-- BERNAMA