Cambodia’s rare vultures remain on the edge of extinction: conservationist group
Critically endangered vultures in Cambodia remain on the brink of extinction as the population has subsequently declined in recent years, conservationist group said on Saturday.
“There were only 127 vultures recorded in June this year, a remarkable drop from about 280 during a census in 2015,” Bour Vorsak, Cambodia program manager for BirdLife International, told Xinhua.
Illegal use of carbofuran-based poisons can exterminate vulture populations, he said, adding that these dangerous chemicals should be restricted as they are dangerous to humans too.
A joint press statement, issued Environment Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, BirdLife International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and six other conservation organizations to mark the 2020 International Vulture Awareness Day, said vultures need help if they are to survive in Cambodia.
The statement said vultures are masters of the air, saying that recent satellite tagging of vultures in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary has revealed vultures fly at heights of 6 km and up to 100 km per hour.
Vultures play an important role in maintaining the environment by stripping the carcasses of dead animals, which helps to reduce the spread of disease, it said, adding that they are nature’s “clean-up crew.”
Xinhua; Editor: huaxia
