• Society

After Years of Hunting, a Senior-Aged Man Dedicates his Days Protecting the Forest

• By Zul Rorvy
• January 30, 2023 2:48 PM

KOH KONG – At first glance, the gap between hunting and protecting wildlife seems unbridgeable. But a man in his 60s from Koh Kong province has redeemed himself by switching from years of wildlife hunting to ensuring resource protection in the Chi Phat Community-Based Ecotourism site, in the hope to preserve wildlife and forests for future generations.

At 63 years old, Doek Moeun lives in Koh Kong province’s Chi Phat commune, about 126 kilometers South-East of Khemarak Phoumin city, the capital and largest city of the province.

Despite his advanced age for such a demanding job, Moeun has been working as a ranger for the community for the past 10 years, helping them protect the lush rainforest.

His current activity is a 180° turn from his former job, in which he had been hunting, trading and eating wildlife in the area for years in exchange for a little money. As farming was not enough to sustain his family, he felt he had no choice but to extract natural resources from their environment.

But he eventually realized the harm he was doing to the forest he knew by heart, and finally decided to take care of the wild animals instead of hunting them.

While being a patrolman sounds like a simple task, it is actually a risky job that involves confronting carnivorous animals and criminals who illegally extract natural resources.

Although the work needs to be done in person, under a driving rain or a burning sun, Moeun never hesitates, claiming that his age does not determine his energy and vigor. He still feels agile and strong, not inferior in any way to any youth.

“Being a jungle patrolman [is a multitask job]: First, we protect wildlife, second, we protect the forest, and third, we protect everything in our forest area,” Moeun said. “When the people create a community, they need a wildlife protector, so they choose us and we step forward.”

Chi Phat Ecotourism Community was established in 2007 to protect natural resources, create sustainable tourist sites and improve people's livelihoods.

Joining this community was a real act of commitment on Moeun's part. He wants to contribute to the protection of natural resources as he ages and will no longer be able to work away from home, as he used to do in his early years.

Having four children, he thinks that his work is very important for him and the community because it is a job that contributes to supporting his family.

Being a ranger provides him $9 a day, while he can also help protect the forest in his community.

“This work as a forest ranger is very important for our community,” said Moeun. “If there is no forest patrol, the future of forests, wildlife and biodiversity will be lost. So, no forest equates to the loss of wildlife.”

If forests and wildlife in the area come to disappear, tourists would no longer come to enjoy the nearby jungle and landscapes, making people’s livelihood only rely on farming, he said.

Moeun is very proud of his work, despite his advanced age. He said he will be a ranger until his last strength and hopes that the forests and wildlife will continue to be present in his homeland for the next generation.

He also wants the public to participate in protecting forests and wildlife by not deforesting and not eating wildlife.

“Cutting down the forest and hunting wildlife will help solve the livelihood only once, but we will lose those resources forever,” he said.

 

Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Teng Yalirozy for Cambodianess.