Cambodia is hosting a five-day forum focused on vulture conservation across Asia. The event, held from February 17 to 21 in Phnom Penh, aims to strengthen global efforts to protect these critically endangered species.
The forum is part of the 14th Annual General Meeting of Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE), providing an opportunity for national and international conservation groups to develop action plans addressing threats to vulture populations. Representatives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar joined the discussions to exchange strategies and insights.
Chea Sam Ang, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Environment, emphasized the forum’s significance in advancing conservation efforts. "Cambodia is the last hope for vultures in Southeast Asia, but their numbers have declined by half over the last decade. For nearly two decades, the ministry and the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Working Group (CVWG) have worked closely to protect all three vulture species in the Kingdom," he stated.
Efforts to conserve the slender-billed vulture, red-headed vulture, and white-rumped vulture include monitoring populations, mitigating major threats, and implementing protection programs in designated areas.
Bou Vorsak, Executive Director of NatureLife Cambodia, highlighted that Cambodia remains the only country in the Indochina region with all three critically endangered vulture species. "Thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, the vulture population in Cambodia remains stable. The latest data estimates the total number of vultures across all three species at around 130," he noted.
Vultures face multiple threats, including poisoning, food scarcity, habitat loss, and human disturbance. Collaborative conservation efforts are crucial to ensuring their survival. While Vietnam and Thailand have lost their vulture populations, Thai experts presented plans at the forum to reintroduce vultures in their country.
Jemima Parry-Jones, President of SAVE, stressed the importance of vulture conservation. "Vultures play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance by feeding on animal carcasses. Their conservation is critical not only for Cambodia but for the world," she explained.
SAVE, a coalition of conservation organizations across South and Southeast Asia, is committed to protecting vulture populations through coordinated efforts. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists vultures as critically endangered due to factors such as food shortages and poisoning from contaminated carcasses.
The CVWG comprises the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and conservation organizations including ACCB, NatureLife Cambodia, Rising Phoenix, WCS, WWF, CBGA, SVC-Tours, and the Center for Biodiversity Conservation.
During the forum, international conservation teams from six countries provided updates on urgent threats, national action plans, and cross-border collaborations. Participants also embarked on a field trip to the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary in Stung Treng province to explore mobile vulture restaurants and vulture nest monitoring results.
Since April 2024, NatureLife Cambodia and the Mandia Nature Fund, with support from BirdLife International Asia, have organized monthly mobile vulture restaurants in Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary. Four potential locations have been identified, with vultures recorded at two, indicating positive progress for conservation efforts. The next two mobile vulture restaurants are scheduled for February and March 2025, with full results to be shared upon completion.
A 2023 vulture census in Cambodia recorded a total of 131 vultures, comprising 12 red-headed vultures, 77 white-rumped vultures, and 42 slender-billed vultures. Conservation efforts remain essential to sustaining and increasing these populations.
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