The Southern River Terrapin is one of the rarest turtles in the world and it is also Cambodia’s national reptile. The species were poached for their eggs and meat until they were presumed extinct in Cambodia until 2001, when a small population was re-discovered along the Sre Ambel River, in Koh Kong Province. This area is protected by royal decree which strictly prohibits hunting of the species. Although there has been more than 15 years of in-place conservation efforts, the wild population has not significantly increased because there are illegal threats from human disturbances, including sand dredging.