How the Life of a Chipmunk in Michigan Came to Save Elephants and a Million Acres in Cambodia

By Michael Charles Tobias, Contributor

The Forbes Magazine 

Our first bull at Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) © David Casselman

In Southeast Asia © M. Tobias

Cambodia‘s Paradise

Cambodia, the first Asian nation to join the IUCN in 1958 is also a significant signatory to the United Nations global Convention on Biological Diversity mandating that member nations draw up sustainable Biodiversity Action Plans. Cambodia’s recent 2010 plan, by any standards, represents a remarkable aspiration towards nation-wide ecological sustainability, indigenous human rights and biodiversity conservation.

Cambodia’s prospects for sustainable agriculture and for enlarging her protected area network, ensuring the sanctity of more and more precious habitat, encouraging eco-tourism and training the next generation of young ecologists are extremely promising. Currently, “Cambodia’s protected areas system includes 7 national parks (742,250 ha), 10 wildlife sanctuaries (2,030,000 ha), 3 protected landscapes (9,700 ha), 3 multiple use areas (403,950 ha), 6 protection forests (1,350,000 ha), and 8 fish sanctuaries (23,544 ha).”

Read the rest of the article at Forbes Magazine.