PHNOM PENH: Critically endangered white-rumped vultures have returned to north-east Cambodia’s Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary after a decade-long absence, a conservation group said on Thursday (June 25).
NatureLife Cambodia said a June vulture census at Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary recorded a critically endangered white-rumped vulture for the first time in a decade, marking the species’ return to the area.
The last record of a white-rumped vulture in the Lomphat landscape was in 2016, following two major poisoning incidents, said its news release.
In February 2014, at least 16 vultures died in a poisoning event, followed by another poisoning case in September 2016 that killed at least three vultures, the news release added.
“Since then, no white-rumped vultures had been observed in the landscape until this latest sighting,” the news release said. “The return of the white-rumped vulture is a major milestone for vulture conservation in the Lomphat landscape and a symbol of hope for the recovery of this species.”
In addition to the white-rumped vulture, the census also recorded five red-headed vultures, including two juveniles, confirming successful breeding within the sanctuary.
“The return of the white-rumped vulture, together with the continued presence of red-headed vultures, is a strong indication that conservation efforts in Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary are making a positive impact,” the news release said.
NatureLife Cambodia organises a vulture restaurant at least once a month to provide supplementary food for vultures in the Lomphat landscape, particularly the red-headed vulture population, it added.
The South-East Asian nation is home to three vulture species: the red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris). All three are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. – Xinhua
