The Khmer common name is “Tror Yorng or Kangor Yak or Aov Loeuk”. The scientific name is “Pseudibis gigantean” and English common name is “Giant Ibis. Giant Ibis has dark grey-brown plumage, light red legs, curved downward bill and 104 cm in body length. Hunting of Giant Ibis was prohibited by declaration No. 359 dated August 01, 1994 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It was classified as a critical endangered species according to the IUCN Red List. Giant Ibis is one of the species that in the past distributed almost throughout Southeast Asia, but at the present time it can only find in the North and Northeast of Cambodia. It has been written about in popular Khmer songs and Khmer traditional tales. Cambodian people had believed that Giant Ibis is very intelligent. If a fail hunting on them in any places, they will never come to those places forever. Their blood was traditionally used for malaria treatment in the isolated villages. It is a popular bird widely liked by Cambodian people, especially it’s morning calls that connected to the heart of Cambodian farmers for love introduction as well as for remaining that it is time for going to the fields. Giant Ibis feeds on many species of invertebrates such as shell, earth worm, crab, etc. It likes to inhabit in dried open forest with many wetland (ponds, lakes, rivers). It walks slowly on the ground for feeding and rest on trees for hiding from its enemies. Giant Ibis is a new rediscovered species in Cambodia after the world wondered it might be extinct. A total of its population found in Prah Viheas is not less than 100 birds, which is one of the largest population of the world. Cambodia is the first country for providing the first wild Giant Ibis photos for the world and now photographs were published in the National Geographic Magazine. The Government of Cambodia issued a sub-degree for wildlife and genetic resources conservation in Prah Vihear is also the main reason to protect Giant Ibis. Because it is a critical endangered species so many international conservation organizations are interested in protecting them. However, it is a beautiful and good looking birds, especially it was a new rediscovered species in Cambodia; it is great potential fro eco-tourism initiative.
Source: Appendix 2 of the Royal Degree No. NS/RKT/0305/149 dated March 21, 2005 on the Designation of Animals and Plants as National Symbols of the Kingdom of Cambodia
