By:
• Sao Phal Niseiy

• 4, September 2024 , 3:15 PM

PHNOM PENH – Conservation group Rising Phoenix has recorded 127 endangered vultures at a special feeding station in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary. The number is the biggest recorded in a decade and shows the success of conservation efforts, an expert says.

The group’s conservation partner USAID Morodok Baitang said the recent sightings nearly matched the total population of 130 vultures recorded by the Cambodian Vulture Working Group across the country in June 2023.

Cambodia is home to three species of vulture: red-headed, slender-billed and white-rumped, all of which are critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. 

Biodiversity research and monitoring manager at Rising Phoenix Romain Legrand said the latest record did not mean an increase in the vulture population. 

Legrand said the census data from 2016-2023 reveals that the slender-billed population is likely stabilized. The population of white-rumped has stabilized or is slightly decreasing, while red-headed vultures are decreasing. 

However, the count over the past few years was encouraging. “This could be the beginning of population growth,” he said. 

“What it shows is that vultures are mostly concentrated in the northern plains and were wiped out of other provinces.” 

The latest record was released ahead of International Vulture Awareness Day, which is celebrated globally on September 7. Legrand said Cambodians should be proud of the progress in vulture conservation.

“It is recognized internationally as Cambodia will host in 2025 the annual SAVE meeting. The good work needs to continue, or the three species will become extinct in Cambodia,” he said.

Tackling remaining threats 

“The results of vulture conservation are encouraging but much remains to be done,” Legrand said.  

These scavenger birds primarily feed on carrion, serving as nature's cleaners by consuming dead animals and helping to maintain environmental balance.

The disappearance of wild ungulates such as gaur, banteng and wild water buffalo has reduced the amount of carrion. 

“That leads to the collapse of the vulture population in southeast Asia,” Legrand said. 

The situation is no different in Cambodia. Another threat is from eating carcasses of animals poisoned by humans. 

That's why USAID Morodok Baitang has been collaborating with the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and Rising Phoenix to establish weekly "vulture restaurants." These provide secure food sources to keep vultures in the protected area and away from unsafe food.

However, this was just a temporary solution to counter the lack of natural food. 

“Conservation of vultures in Cambodia necessitates the restoration of the wild ungulate population and habitat protection,” he said. 

Rising Phoenix also carries out GPS-GSM tagging to monitor movements and better understand their ranging behaviour as well as nest monitoring to ensure the safety of chicks.