Phnom Penh, September 4, 2024 — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has reported a significant increase in the vulture population at the "Vulture Restaurant" in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, with a record 127 vultures observed — the highest number recorded in the last decade.

According to USAID, the number of vultures spotted on September 3, 2024, in Siem Pang is almost equivalent to the entire vulture population estimated in Cambodia by the Cambodian Vulture Working Group. In June 2023, only about 130 vultures were counted across the country.

Cambodia is home to three species of vultures: the red-headed vulture, the white-rumped vulture, and the slender-billed vulture, all of which are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. These vultures play a crucial role in the ecosystem by feeding on animal carcasses, thereby acting as natural scavengers that help maintain environmental balance.

However, vulture populations worldwide, including in Cambodia, have been in sharp decline over recent decades due to malnutrition and poisoning from contaminated food sources. The vultures in Cambodia are currently facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

To combat this, USAID Green Heritage, in collaboration with the Critical Ecosystem Partnership and Rising Phoenix, has launched the "Vulture Restaurant" project. This initiative provides vultures with a reliable source of safe food each week, reducing the risk of the birds seeking potentially dangerous food outside the sanctuary. Rising Phoenix has also deployed GPS-GSM tags on vultures to monitor their movements, understand their behaviors better, and locate nests to ensure the safe reproduction of these endangered birds.