PHNOM PENH (XINHUA) – The population of critically endangered vultures in Cambodia has seen a slight increase, raising hope for the species conservation, Ministry of Environment secretary of state and spokesman Neth Pheaktra said recently.
Citing the preliminary results from the 2022 census conducted twice by the Cambodia Vulture Working Group at four vulture habitats, Pheaktra said a June 10 census indicated that 134 vultures were recorded, and another census on June 17 found that there were 128 vultures.
“The figures represent a slight surge from a total of 121 vultures recorded in the 2021 census,” he told Xinhua.
“The results show that the population of the rare species has begun to recover after declining in recent years. It’s a positive sign for our conservation efforts,” he added.
However, two other censuses will be conducted in September and December to determine the exact number of the vultures for 2022, the spokesman said.
