For the seventh season of River Monsters extreme angler and adventurous biologist Jeremy Wade traveled to Cambodia in search of the ‘Mekong Mutilator‘, as per the 2015 episode’s title. Jeremy Wade first went upstream on the Mekong to Kratie in northeastern Cambodia and around the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers in Phnom Penh, before heading to the floating villages outside Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia – home of the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat.
The freshwater fish in question is a beautiful-colored pufferfish (Pao cochinchinensis) that inhabits the local waterways along the Mekong and on the enormous Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Having caught and handled this exact species myself outside Siem Reap, which can easily be found at the right time of year just by using a small net, I can attest to this little fish’s reputation and charm, at equal levels.
Cambodian fisherman know that this little pufferfish at a length of about 5-7cm, inflated to around double that, can cause serious flesh wounds with its ferocious bite, just like a piranha. The low water levels in the dry season and a possible lack of food, combined with human co-habitation at the floating villages outside Siem Reap, or its general aggressive behavior might be to blame. I have seen it placed unsuccessfully in local aquariums, with the fish dying quickly, due to wrong nutrition or other causes.
Over the last decade many other famous TV personalities, besides Jeremy Wade, filmed episodes in Cambodia, such as celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay for the second season of ‘Gordon’s Great Escape‘ and late Anthony Bourdain for his Emmy Award winning ‘Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations’ food & travel series.
DISCLAIMER: Khreativa Cambodia is in no way involved with this production and only sharing it under a ‘fair use’ policy. Copyright © Animal Planet, Discovery Channel
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