Rare Leopard Photographed With Young In Northeastern Cambodia - AFP

[hatrack]

rare leopard was photographed for the first time with her young in Cambodia, the World Wildlife Fund said Thursday in what it called an encouraging sign for the highly endangered animal.

The big cat's picture was snapped recently when it tripped a camera trap set up by biologists working with local forest rangers. "They are very secretive creatures and incredibly difficult to see, even with the best guides," said Nick Cox of the WWF's Greater Mekong office. "But in the Srepok Wilderness Area of the Mondulkiri protected forest in northeastern Cambodia, our rangers have had recent encounters with leopards that would make big cat biologists green with envy," he added in a statement posted on the WWF's website.

Leopards will only reproduce under the right conditions and the photographs provide an initial sign of a healthy ecosystem, the WWF said.

The Srepok Wilderness Area Project (SWAP), a partnership between the WWF and Cambodian government, brings conservation efforts to a part of the country where relatively unscathed forests are threatened by illegal logging, clear-cutting for agriculture and the animal trade.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/2007/070503101120.axlkzpdf.html

[hlthe2b]

1. What's with the press, lately?

This story's emphasis is on a news worthy photograph of this highly endangered animal... So, where's the friggin photo?

Seems AP and AFP have been doing this a lot lately...Nuts...!

[GregD]

3. ya, the giant fungus wasn't shown either

[mikelgb]

2. article fails

mentions photgraph in headline

but there is no photo!

[rasputin1952]

4. No pic! They said the camera was tripped at night...

but I guess they forgot to load to load batteries????...:D

[Seedersandleechers]

5. Without the photo, this is a non-story

[depakid]

6. You can usually find the photos on a Google news search:

http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070503162148.6h0axiad&cat=null

[hlthe2b]

7. Beautiful animal... thanks... Now why can't the print media

include that photo? Geez..