PHNOM PENH, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's critically endangered vulture population has reached a 10-year high, with 163 individuals recorded in the latest 2025 census, an environment official said on Tuesday.
"The figures represent a 22 percent increase from the 2024 count, marking the highest annual population recorded since 2016," Khvay Atitya, an undersecretary of state and spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, told Xinhua.
Cambodia is home to three vulture species: the red-headed (Sarcogyps calvus), white-rumped (Gyps bengalensis), and slender-billed (Gyps tenuirostris) vulture. All three are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Atitya said that the population rebound reflects successful collaboration between government agencies and NGO partners to protect habitats and implement targeted conservation policies.
He said that to support the population, conservationists routinely protect vulture nests and run "vulture restaurants," periodically feeding the birds with dead domestic cattle. ■