Cambodia sees declining vulture population: new census

Cambodian vultures: slender billed (l), white-rumped (m), and red-headed vultures (r).

People's Daily Online
June 30, 2011

The number of the critically endangered vultures in Cambodia has declined 7.6 percent to 267 in June this year from 289 at this time last year, according to the vulture census released on Thursday.

The census was conducted by Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project (CVCP) in cooperation with the ministries of environment and agriculture.

Song Chansocheat, the manager of CVCP, said the census had been done simultaneously on June 10 and 20 in seven different jungles in the provinces of Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Mondolkiri and Rattanakiri, where the vultures are living.

The vulture census was held by lying out cattle carcasses for vultures to eat and then the vulture population had been counted.

"The census is not 100 percent accurate; however, we can conclude that the number of vultures has been declining in Cambodia," he said.

In an effort to save this critically endangered bird in Cambodia, the CVCP has killed a cow in each of the seven places every month in order to feed those vultures, he added.

Source: Xinhua