cambodia

tags: Forest of Ecstasy: Vanguard, illegal drugs, safrole oil, ecstacy, XTC, X, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA, rainforest, Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia, conservation, endangered species, documentary, streaming video Do you think that making and using illegal drugs are victimless crimes? Think again! Deep in a remote Cambodian rainforest, criminals are setting up illegal factories to produce safrole oil, the raw ingredient for the illegal Schedule I drug, ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA). Adam Yamaguchi joins armed forest rangers on a search and destroy mission.

tags: Samkos bush frog, Chiromantis samkosensis, Cambodia, image of the day Samkos bush frog, Chiromantis samkosensis. Image: Fauna and Flora International [larger view]. When conservation group Fauna and Flora International began its surveys in Cambodia's remote Cardamom Mountains in 2000, the national list of known amphibians stood at just nine species. Now, the list has been extended to at least 63, including the green blooded and turquoise boned Samkos bush frog, Chiromantis samkosensis (above). The Samkos bush frog is thought to be extremely rare. Its strange colored bones and blood…

Two doozies in a row brought to you today by our good friend Kevin Zelnio of Deep Sea News and The Other 95%. The first is this awesomeness: Amazing video of a giant freshwater stingray caught in Thailand and covered as part of National Geographic's Megafishes Project. This specimen measured 14ft long but fisherman in Thailand and Cambodia claim they can grow many times larger. Little is known about these freshwater giants but if the fishermen are to be believed (and why would a fishermen ever exaggerate a fish's size?!), these stingrays, also known as whip rays, could be the world's largest…

Primitive primates indigenous to Southeast Asia, Slow Lorises are endangered and absurdly adorable. Most importantly, they just so happen to be this editor,Aeos favorite animal since early childhood. However, it wouldn,Aeot take a childhood obsession to be appalled at the horrors of the illegal loris trade. Prized for their cuddliness, slow lorises are sold in Japan as impulse-buy pets like puppies. But the process of getting them to Japan is fraught with misery for the animals. Baby lorises are the most valuable, but unable to care for themselves. They cannot defecate without assistance from…