PHNOM PENH, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia recorded a total of 143 critically endangered vultures in 2024, the highest-ever number in the last five years, said a vulture census result released on Friday.

The Southeast Asian nation is home to three vulture species, namely red-headed (Sarcogyps calvus), white-rumped (Gyps bengalensis), and slender-billed (Gyps tenuirostris).

All are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered.

The conservationist group has periodically fed the birds with dead domestic cattle at the wildlife sanctuaries and routinely protected their nests and habitats.

"Despite dedicated conservation efforts, Cambodia's vultures remain on the brink of extinction," said a joint press release issued by a group of conservationists, adding that wild and domestic animal poisoning continued to pose a threat to the species population.

Khvay Atitya, an undersecretary of state and spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of Environment, said that as "nature's cleanup crew," vultures play a critical role in maintaining environmental hygiene and biodiversity stability, as they help prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens such as anthrax and rabies.

"The fact that populations are not declining further is encouraging, but with such small numbers, we must continue conservation actions to ensure their long-term survival," he added. ■