AKP Phnom Penh, February 17, 2025 --  

The CVWG (Cambodia Vulture Working Group) and Cambodia Ministry of Environment have been hosting the 14th SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) Annual Meeting at the Phnom Penh Era Hotel, front Feb. 17 to 21.

According to the NatureLife Cambodia, SAVE is consortium of conservation partners from many countries around South and Southeast Asia that is dedicated to the survival of vultures in the region.

The Cambodian Vulture Working Group consists of focal departments within the Ministry Environment and Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries, alongside conservation organisations including ACCB, NatureLife Cambodia, Rising Phoenix, WCS, WWF, CBGA, SVC-Tours, and the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation.

Over the next two days, the 60+ attendees will hear the international updates from six countries, and discuss and learn about a number of key topics, including combatting the urgent threats to vultures, the contribution of working groups and national action plans, as well as transboundary cooperation.

“We expect it to be a valuable and productive meeting, and a great opportunity to highlight the efforts of all the members of the CVWG to the conservation of Vultures in the Kingdom of Cambodia,” NatureLife Cambodia underlined.

According to the 2023 Vulture Census, Cambodia recorded a total of 132 vultures from three species: the white-rumped vulture, slender-billed vulture, and red-headed vulture. Among them, the red-headed vulture remains the most threatened, with only 14 individuals.

Since April 2024, NatureLife Cambodia and Lomphat rangers, with support from Mandai Nature and BirdLife International Asia, have been conducting monthly mobile vulture restaurants to monitor the presence of the Red-headed Vulture in the Lomphat landscape.

Four potential sites were selected within the landscape for these feeding stations. So far, Red-headed Vultures have been recorded at two out of the four restaurants—an encouraging sign for the conservation of this critically endangered species.

The final two mobile vulture restaurants will take place in February and March 2025.

Vultures generally live in open forest areas and eat dead animal. They have appeared in four provinces: Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri.

By C. Nika