The Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) is a non-governmental organization

Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 in Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

. ACCB is the "first nature conservation and endangered wildlife rescue and breeding centre" in the country. It works towards the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in Cambodia. Established in 2003 by the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 organizations of Allwetterzoo Münster and the Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations, ACCB's goals include the rehabilitation of confiscated wildlife, breeding of selected species, environmental education, local community involvement, research, and in-situ conservation. Dr. Stephan Goetz from Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

 has provided major financial support via Stiftung Artenschutz (“Species Conservation Foundation”), a consortium of zoos and nature conservation organizations. The ACCB is a project (No. 04010) of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums is the "umbrella" organisation for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal care and welfare, conservation of biodiversity, environmental...

.

Geography

Situated on 25 hectares within the Phnom Kulen National Park, ACCB is located in a remote, rural and isolated area of Siem Reap Province near the Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...

 temples. It sits at the base of Kbal Spean mountain, 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north of Siem Reap

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia, and is the gateway to Angkor region.Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market...

. The climate is hot and humid.

History

Between 2001 and 2002, Kai-Olaf Krüger, project manager, and Isabell Stich, veterinarian, arrived in Cambodia from Germany to locate a site for the centre. The use of the site was granted in May 2002 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Goetz granted the main financial support, allowing construction to begin in April 2003. The education centre was built in 2004. Enclosures for mammals, birds and turtles, a quarantine facility, veterinary surgery area, residential housing, offices and storage areas were also constructed.

Activities

ACCB's activities are centered around the rescue, rehabilitation and release of native Cambodian wildlife. This is accomplished in a variety of ways, such as the conservation breeding of certain globally threatened species, environmental education and awareness that raises capacity building for conservation, as well as in-situ conservation and research. The organization nurses trafficked animals back to health. It also provides shelter to approximately 100 native animals that appear on the endangered species

Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

 list. An example of ACCB's activities, a joint initiative with Fauna and Flora International, was the 2010 assessment of the collection and trade of amphibian

Amphibian

Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...

s in Cambodia.

Community events are held in Kun Riem village. Free tours are available.