# Seven-year camera-trap study in Cambodian mangroves finds declining occupancy of four threatened mammals

- Published: 2026-11-12 00:41 UTC
- Section: Planet › Ecology & recycling
- Tags: Cambodia mangrove mammals, camera-trap monitoring, Koh Kapik Ramsar Site, Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary, fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus, hairy-nosed otter Lutra sumatrana, Sunda pangolin, occupancy model, Melaleuca swamp forest, threatened species decline
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-a95c0456b8cb4cf967f01b08_seven_year_camera/

**Camera traps at 156 sites in Koh Kapik and Peam Krasop show that mangrove and Melaleuca habitats shelter threatened mammals, but several species trend downward.**

![Seven-year camera-trap study in Cambodian mangroves finds declining occupancy of four threatened mammals](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/44034febf40be0c5.jpg)
*news.mongabay.com*

Researchers monitored mammal communities with camera traps in the Koh Kapik Ramsar Site and the Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary on the Cambodian coast from 2017 to 2023, according to a paper in Ecology and Evolution. Cameras were set at 20–30 sites per year, 156 sites in total [1]. The team, including Vanessa Herranz Muñoz of the Phnom Penh company Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise, aimed to build a long-term baseline for species that are rarely observed and for which such data are scarce [1].

## Occupancy and habitat preferences

The authors applied a multi-species hierarchical occupancy model to estimate occupancy, detection probability, habitat associations, human influence and temporal trends for eight mammal species [1]. The Endangered long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and the Vulnerable fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) had the highest occupancy probabilities. The Endangered hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana) and the Critically Endangered Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) had consistently low and uncertain occupancy [1]. Detection probability varied widely, and the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) was the easiest to detect [1].

Habitat associations differed by species. Fishing cats selected back and fringe mangroves, hairy-nosed otters were associated with riverine mixed mangroves, and large-spotted civets (Viverra megaspila) favored Melaleuca swamp forests [1]. Across the community, occupancy rose with tree cover [1].

## Human presence and trends over time

Responses to distance from villages differed among species, which the authors interpret as a mix of tolerance and avoidance of human activity [1]. According to Mongabay's account, fishing cats, smooth-coated otters and macaques were often photographed not far from villages, while hairy-nosed otters, large-spotted civets and Sunda pangolins tended to stay farther from settlements.

The trend analysis suggests declining occupancy for several threatened species: long-tailed macaque, fishing cat, smooth-coated otter and large-spotted civet [1]. Herranz Muñoz told Mongabay that protection should cover not only mangroves but also the surrounding Melaleuca forests and riverine mixed mangroves. The researchers also named human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and forest loss to fire and urbanization as concerns, as reported by Mongabay.

The authors describe the dataset as one of the first community-level baselines for evaluating and guiding conservation in Southeast Asian mangrove landscapes [1].

## Sources

1. [Ecology and Evolution](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.74391)
2. [news.mongabay.com](https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/cambodias-mangrove-forests-offer-vital-refuge-for-threatened-wildlife-7-year-study-finds)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-a95c0456b8cb4cf967f01b08_seven_year_camera/