Siem Pang, Cambodia – Vulture populations in the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary have hit a new milestone, according to a report by USAID Morodok Baitang and its partner, Rising Phoenix, on September 4, 2024.
The sanctuary now hosts 127 vultures, marking the highest count in the past decade. This new record nearly matches the total number of vultures reported nationwide, which stood at 130 as of March 2023.
Cambodia’s vulture species—including the Red-headed, White-rumped, and Slender-billed vultures—are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Vultures play a crucial role in ecosystems by consuming animal carcasses, thereby maintaining environmental balance.
In recent decades, vulture populations have drastically declined globally, including in Cambodia. This decline has been attributed to malnutrition and poisoning from consuming toxic animal carcasses, often as a result of human activities. As a result, vultures in Cambodia are now at high risk of extinction.
To combat this threat, the USAID Morodok Baitang Project, in collaboration with partners, has launched the “Vulture Restaurant” initiative. This project provides vultures with safe, toxin-free food on a weekly basis to ensure they remain within protected areas and do not seek hazardous food sources.
Rising Phoenix has also implemented GPS-GSM tagging to monitor vulture movements and behavior, including nesting habits, to enhance reproductive safety and overall survival.
As “International Vulture Awareness Day” approaches, project organizers are eager to highlight these positive developments and the vital role vultures play in their ecosystems.
Eang Samnang, a wildlife monitor at the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary for Rising Phoenix, explained that the vultures are fed with dead buffalo, specifically chosen to be free of toxic chemicals. Every Thursday, a 350-450 kilogram buffalo carcass is placed at the Vulture Restaurant. Vultures typically arrive to feed one or two days later.
The species remains classified as Globally Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with most populations found in Cambodia’s northern and northeastern provinces, including Preah Vihear, Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Kratie, and Stung Treng.
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