Elephant locations in Cambodia

65 locations has kept elephants in Cambodia

There is presently 68 (17,49) living elephants in locations in Cambodia in this database

Cambodia
Cambodia
Region: Cambodia is in this database included in asia
Wild elephants: Cambodia has about 425 (min. 250, max. 600) wild elephants. Source:Maltby & Bourchier (2011)
Location holdings: 65 locations has kept 146 elephants in Cambodia

(Database tables with collection of elephants further down on the page)
Elephants in locations68 (17,49) living 78 (20,41) dead
Map above: Elephant distribution (yellow) in Cambodia. Source: Fauna and Flora International, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Wild population


1995: 2 000 (Kemf and Jackson, 1995)

1999: 500-1000 (Osborn and Vinton, 1999)

2006: surveys that collected DNA from elephant dung in Seima Protection Forest revealed a population of approximately 116 animals within the protected area — but not a single elephant was seen during the study.

2011: The present numbers of wild elephants has been correlated to DNA studies of feaces, a
project supported by Fauna and Flora International, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

2021: It is estimated that about 300 elephants live in the protected areas of Mondulkiri province, and some of these are trans-boundary, moving hence and forth between Mondulkiri and Yok Don, in Dak Lak, Vietnam. Theres elephants in two locations in Ratanakiri province, some 30 elephants in Ou Ya Dav National Park, and some more in Stoeng ta pok close to Ta Veng. Close to D’dar Poom Chop in Virachey National Park, a small group of elephants were reported by Gregory Edward McCann, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, in 2016, who seems to be a a trans-boundary herd, migrating hence and forth to Laos.



Captive population


Traditionally, the Bunong people of northern Cambodia capured, tamed and trained elephants, who was then keptas beats of burden, or sold to tribes like the Brau people.

During the Pol Pot regime, a lot of elephants were confiscated by the Khmer Roughe but some of the tame elephants reverted to a wild state. Very few wild elephants were captured during the period 1980 to 2000, according to local people in Mondulkiri.

2011: 121 captive elephants (Jack Highwood, 2011)

2022: Less than 75 captive elephants living.

Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri


In l999, Mondulkiri provincial DFW officials recorded 93 elephants, but by 2000 the number had declined to 83 elephants. These ten elephants lost between 1999 and 2000 were in fact sent to Siem Reap. According to the last double check conducted by Mondulkiri DFW in June to July 2001, 91 domesticated elephants were recorded. Others were possibly sold to Thailand and Viet Nam between l999 and 2000. During this period, six calf elephants were captured, ranging in age from 6 months to five years old, according to provincial DFW sources.(FAO) At Katieng water fall, outside Banlung in Ratanakiri, 4 elephants remain, one was captive born 26th of December 2021, the first captive birth of an elephant, since over 30 years, which gives hope for future breeding.

A second baby born in Mondulkiri on January 2022, died in 2024 due to Herpes virus.


Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan, Facts about elephants in Cambodia. Elephant Encyclopedia, (2025) available online retrieved 2025-03-30 at https://www.elephant.se/country.php?name=Cambodia.
(archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources, among others


Internal relevant links



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