Vultures gorge themselves at a vulture ‘restaurant’ in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, Stung Treng province. Environment ministry
A delegation from the Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) association visited the “mobile vulture restaurants” in the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary on February 20. While there, they praised Cambodia’s conservation efforts, highlighting them as a model for protecting natural resources.
Jemima Parry-Jones, president of SAVE, noted that the presence of vultures in the Kingdom reflects the country’s strong conservation efforts, as these birds are critically endangered and exist in only a few places worldwide.
The delegation consisted of environmental experts from Cambodia, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar — countries where vultures are still found — along with representatives from partner organisations and development agencies from the UK.
Around 30 participants took part in the visit to the sanctuary in Stung Treng province, where they learned about Cambodia’s successful vulture conservation strategies.
The field visit followed the 14th annual meeting of vulture conservation experts, held in Phnom Penh from February 17-18, with participants exchanging ideas on maintaining and increasing vulture populations.
The Ministry of Environment noted that the experts had praised the Cambodian government’s commitment to natural resource conservation, especially in protecting biodiversity and ensuring that vultures thrive in their natural habitat.
Thiri Dawei Aung, a representative of Myanmar’s Vulture Working Group (VWG), believed that Cambodia’s weekly supplementary feeding of vultures with cattle or buffalo carcasses is highly effective. She noted that Myanmar has yet to implement such a system at the same level.
Eang Samnang, head of biodiversity monitoring at Rising Phoenix Co. Ltd., a non-profit enterprise involved in conservation and supplementary feeding efforts in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, explained that every week, one cow or buffalo is slaughtered as food for vultures in the protected area.
The carcasses are provided regularly on Thursdays so that by Friday or Saturday, they have decomposed enough to attract vultures.
Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary is home to an estimated 80 to 100 vultures, of three species: red-headed vultures, slender-billed vultures, and white-rumped vultures — the latter being the most numerous.
Vulture feeding and conservation efforts in Cambodia are concentrated in several key locations, including Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary in Stung Treng, Chheb Wildlife Sanctuary in Preah Vihear, Sambor Wildlife Sanctuary in Kratie and Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary in Ratanakkiri.
Bou Vorsak, director of NatureLife Cambodia, believed that the future of vulture conservation in Cambodia looks promising due to habitat protection, food availability and increased community awareness.
He also emphasised the importance of avoiding poisons in agriculture, banning wildlife traps and ensuring a safe environment for the rare birds.
Sreng Cheaheng, director of Stung Treng’s Department of Environment, reported that authorities, in collaboration with conservation organisations and law enforcement, conduct regular patrols in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary.
“As a result, we have seen a significant decrease in crimes against natural resources and wildlife. This reduction is due to stronger law enforcement and increased public awareness campaigns,” he said.
Vultures are classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
In 2023, a vulture census in Cambodia recorded a total of 131 vultures, including 12 Red-headed Vultures, 77 White-rumped Vultures and 42 slender-billed Vultures.
Vultures have already gone extinct in neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand.
Vultures play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance by scavenging carcasses, which helps prevent the spread of diseases. They also contribute to Cambodia’s economy and local communities through eco-tourism, as visitors pay fees to observe them in protected areas.
However, they continue to face threats, including habitat loss, poisoning, veterinary drug contamination and food shortages.
Additionally, experts raised concerns about genetic bottlenecks in the vulture population, which could lead to decreased disease resistance and reduced breeding success.
