Vulture Makes Triumphant Return After Decade Away From Cambodia Sanctuary

A white-rumped vulture has come home to Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia—and after a decade of absence, this isn’t just a bird sighting. It’s proof that dedicated conservation actually works.

These critically endangered birds nearly vanished from the region after a poisoning incident decimated the local population years ago. But Bou Vorsak, chief executive of NatureLife Cambodia, and his team refused to let that be the end of the story. They spent years rebuilding habitat, establishing a steady food supply through what they call a“vulture restaurant”—essentially a monthly feeding station stocked with large carcasses—and running awareness campaigns to reduce poisoning incidents. The payoff came in June 2026 when sanctuary surveyors spotted the white-rumped vulture at that very feeding station, marking its first confirmed sighting in a decade.

What makes this moment particularly significant is the broader context of just how fragile these birds’existence has become. Less than 200 vultures were counted in the organization’s latest survey, which tells you everything you need to know about how close we are to losing them entirely. The same survey also spotted five red-headed vultures, another critically endangered species NatureLife Cambodia is fighting to protect within the sanctuary.

Most of us probably don’t spend much time thinking about vultures. They don’t have charisma like pandas or elephants. But they’re absolutely essential—they clean up carcasses far faster than bacteria and insects ever could, preventing disease outbreaks and recycling nutrients into the soil at a pace that keeps ecosystems functioning. Lose the vultures, and you don’t just lose scavengers. You lose a critical part of how nature actually works.

The real threat remains poisoning. Vorsak noted that incidents have dropped significantly from more than 30 cases a year in the past to about 1 to 3 annually—progress that matters. But even a handful of poisoned carcasses could be catastrophic for a population this small. That’s why the vulture restaurant and the conservation work happening at Lomphat aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines.

This single sighting is a reminder that extinction isn’t inevitable. With sustained effort, habitat restoration, and communities willing to change their practices, even critically endangered species can find their way back. The return of that white-rumped vulture isn’t just good news for Cambodia—it’s a signal that we haven’t already lost the fight.