In a surprise move, the Cambodian Prime Minister, Sandech Hun Sen, has cancelled a titanium strip mine project in one of Southeast Asia's last great intact forest ecosystems, the Cardamom Mountains. According to a press release sent out by the Cambodian government the mine was canceled due to "concerns of the impact on the environment, biodiversity and local livelihoods" of villagers. The mine, which was planned to sit directly in the migration route for the largest population of Asian elephants in Cambodia, had been largely opposed by locals in the region who spent years developing eco-tourism in the region.

 "We were under the impression the battle was lost. We are very pleased that the prime minister has weighed the environmental impact," Wildlife Alliance Communications Officer John Maloy told AFP. 

Wildlife Alliance, a conservation NGO, has worked extensively in Cambodia for nearly a decade, including with the village of Chi Phat near the area slated to be strip-mined. Many local had residents given up logging and poaching to focus on tourism efforts; for its part, Wildlife Alliance invested over half a million US dollars to build infrastructure.

Incredibly rich in wildlife, the Cardamom Mountains is home to Indochinese tigers, Malayan sun bears, and pileated gibbons, in addition to 250 species of birds. According to Wildlife Alliance 70 threatened species live in the area, including the Siamese crocodile, which is listed as Critically Endangered.

Some endangered species found in the Cardamom Mountains according to the IUCN Red List:
* Asian elephant (Elephas maximums): Endangered
* Banteng (Bos javanicus): Endangered
* Burmese python (Python molurus): Near Threatened
* Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa): Vulnerable
* Dhole (Cuon alpinus): Endangered
* Frog-faced softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii): Endangered
* Gaur (Bos gaurus): Vulnerable
* Green peafowl (Pavo muticus): Endangered
* Indochinese tiger ( Panthera tigris corbetti): Endangered
* Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus): Vulnerable
* Pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus): Endangered
* Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis): Critically Endangered
* Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata): Vulnerable
* Southwest Chinese serow (Capricornis sumatraensis): Near Threatened
* orso malese sole (malayanus Helarctos): Vulnerabile
* Pileated gibbone (Hylobates pileatus): in via di estinzione
* coccodrillo siamese (Crocodylus siamensis): in pericolo critico
* lontra a pelo liscio (perspicillata Lutrogale): Vulnerabile
* Southwest serow cinese (Capricornis sumatraensis): Prossimo alla minaccia