Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary covers the total area of 225,000ha – more than 15% of the total area of Mondulkiri province. The sanctuary is notable for its rich habitat diversity, ranging from hilly evergreen forest to open dry dipterocarp woodland and seasonally wet grasslands.

The wildlife sanctuary hosts the core area for the largest Asian elephant in eastern Cambodia. Wildlife also includes the mega-herbivores banteng and gaur as well as populations of the endangered Eld’s deer. These and other herbivores form the prey base for an unknown number of Indochinese tiger present in the sanctuary, and a survey is underway to estimate tiger population size more accurately. Other key carnivores include leopard and clouded leopard, as well as marbled cat, jungle cat, and dhole. Phnom Prich is one of the last global strongholds for the endangered green peafowl, and the elusive white-winged duck has also been spotted inside the protected area.

This wealth of ecosystems is due to the sanctuary’s very diverse elevational structure varying between 80 to 640metres that has created a rich, intricate mosaic of forest habitats: About 50% of Phnom Prich’s forests are dry dipterocarp with an additional 40% semi-evergreen and 10% evergreen forest. These open forest mosaics support globally significant populations of animals characteristic of both dry and dense forest ecosystems, particularly large mammals and waterbirds, many of which have been extirpated from most other parts of Southeast Asia.