PREAH VIHEAR: An endangered giant ibis was successfully treated for avian flu and an injured toe and is now peacefully recovering in Preah Vihear.

When the juvenile bird was brought into the Angkor Center for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), it displayed no sign of illness, however severe symptoms quickly developed. After thorough medical examination, it was discovered that the bird had avian flu and parasites in its blood. Moreover, it was unable to move its toe due to a tumor. The ACCB team was able to treat the bird and remove the tumor, leaving it to recover fully and adapt to its care facility.

With only about 250 individuals left of Cambodia’s national bird, the successful treatment is a win for conservation efforts. The bird was rescued and healed with the collaborative efforts of the ACCB, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Preah Vihear Department of Environment.

The giant ibis is the largest of its kind in the world. Although hunting them was banned in Cambodia in 1994, deforestation and human disturbance have rendered the species critically endangered.