From 2003-2004, Zoltan Istvan was the Communications Director of WildAid Cambodia. He helped organize WildAid staff and hundreds of Cambodian soldiers (who worked with WildAid) to stop widespread illegal wildlife poaching. He went on undercover police raids of restaurants where illegal wildlife was being sold, often filming it. He traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia, sometimes in a helicopter doing survey and environmental forestry work. He taught locals farming methods to replace livelihoods that consisted entirely of poaching. Some of his footage and stories ended up on the National Geographic Channel and Animals Rescue TV. He also penned stories for WildAid, including in the Phnom Penh Post (below), National Geographic, and The New York Times Syndicate. He also did interviews for WildAid on the BBC and other media. He rehabilitated animals at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, liased with WildAid’s national office, and helped create WildAid Cambodia’s website. He has very fond memories of this time in Cambodia and is a lifelong suppoter of WildAid.
