Meet the Rare and Wonderful Animals of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

Scientific Name: Galeopterus variegatus Natural Range: Southeast Asia Status: Least Concern

This nocturnal glider thrives high in the dense tree canopy of tropical forests. It can glide up to 200 feet between trees thanks to large stretches of skin connecting arms, legs, and tail. “Colugos are very evolutionarily distinct. I would describe it as a mix between a carpet, a flying squirrel, and a weird shrew,” said Cain Agger, Biodiversity Monitoring Technical Advisor with WCS. While they are not endangered, populations are declining. Deforestation is a real threat to their survival. (Fun fact: A group of colugos is called a conspiracy.)

Scientific Name: Nomascus gabriellae Natural Range: Cambodia and Vietnam Status: Endangered

These primates are rarely seen anywhere but in the treetops, and they’re known for their beautiful call. “The males and females sing a harmony or duet in the mornings — partly as pair bonding, partly as a territorial display — and it sounds incredible,” said Griffin. As their name suggests, southern yellow-cheeked crested gibbons have patches of yellow fur on their cheeks. Adult males are almost entirely black, other than this key trait. Adult females, however, are nearly all yellow with a black crest on their heads. These gibbons have a place on the endangered species list because of loss of habitat, hunting, and the exotic pet market.

Scientific Name: Pygathrix nigripes Natural Range: Cambodia and Southern Vietnam Status: Endangered

With its blue-colored face, grey body, black hind limbs, and white tail, the black-shanked douc is a peculiar-looking monkey. It is almost exclusively found in Cambodia, mostly within the borders of the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. “You rarely find it anywhere else, and the populations outside Keo Seima are very, very small,” said Agger. This is one of three species of douc langurs, and its diet comes primarily from trees: leaves, shoots, buds, seeds, flowers, and unripe fruit. It also spends most of its time among the branches. Needless to say, deforestation is threatening its existence.

Scientific Name: Elephas maximus Natural Range: India and Southeast Asia (though it used to be a much broader area) Status: Endangered

The largest land animal in Asia can be found in the sanctuary, typically near a water source. “About one-quarter of Cambodia’s remaining wild Asian elephant population is in Keo Seima,” said Griffin. Asian elephants are social mammals and form complex relationships within a herd. These giant herbivores primarily eat grasses, but they also enjoy the trees’ bounty of fruit, leaves, roots, twigs, shoots, and bark. They have been known to get into crop fields and help themselves to sugar cane and cashew fruit as well.

Scientific Name: Cryptelytrops rubeus Natural Range: Eastern Cambodia and Southern Vietnam Status: Vulnerable

This venomous snake was first identified as a unique species in 2011, right inside the sanctuary. Vibrant, almost neon green scales and red eyes are its boldest features. Venomous fangs are its deadliest. “It is scary, but it is also very beautiful,” said Agger. These pit vipers are often found in dense cover near flowing water within a seasonal tropical forest habitat.