JAUNTED
9/05/2008
Cambodian wildlife is difficult to observe in its native habitat. The jungles are thick, and because locals tend to kill and eat any creature that pokes its snout out of the forest, the animals have learned to keep to themselves.If you want to see the vast menagerie of species that call Cambodia home, make a trip to the Phnom Tamao Zoo, an easy day trip from Phnom Penh.
The zoo, which doubles as a refuge for animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, is quite popular among Cambodians, but rarely makes the average tourist's itinerary. But if you ask me, a visit to Phnom Tamao is every bit as fascinating as a day at Angkor Wat, and more travelers should make the trip to see the animals.
Feed the Bears?Phnom Tamao is totally different from any zoo you've visited in the US. Although there are hundreds of animals, including all the heavy hitters like lions, tigers, bears, leopards and elephants, there isn't a lot of money for their upkeep.
Cages are minimal, with nothing more than a simple wire fence separating you from the beasts inside. Instead of warnings prohibiting visitors from feeding the animals, local entrepreneurs set up shop outside the cages, selling visitors treats to pass on to the hungry critters.
Otters clamor for fresh fish, thirsty sun bears beg plaintively for green coconuts and at least one of the gibbons has developed a taste for local cans of beer. Other gibbons like to get scratched on the head.
Watch out for the elephants; they seem friendly and harmless, but get too close and they'll drench you in water or use their trunks to whack you with stalks of sugarcane.
Free the Bears!
Cambodia is home to two species of bears, Asiatic black bears and sun bears. Both species are often captured by poachers, and more than 70 rescued bears now live in a large enclosure at Phnom Tamao.
It's even possible to help care for the bears as a volunteer through the organization Free The Bears.
The Bear Necessities:
Because the zoo operates on a shoestring budget, facilities are minimal, but there's plenty of space in the enclosures and most animals seem well cared for.
The area around Phnom Tamao is rural and impoverished, so many locals go to the zoo to try to make a little cash. Local English speaking guides will be happy to show you around and let you know which animals like to be scratched and which ones like to bite, but be sure to agree on a price in advance.
The road into the zoo is lined with beggars, many of whom are elderly nuns and monks. Cambodian visitors usually blow past the beggars in cars and throw a few bills out the window for them to scrounge from the dirt. You can do likewise, ignore the beggars altogether or stop and hand money to those who seem most in need.
Bear South:
A tuk-tuk ride to the zoo and back should cost around $20 and takes about 90 minutes one-way. The infamous Killing Fields memorial is about halfway to the zoo, so you can combine both destinations in a single trip.
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