AKP Phnom Penh, January 08, 2025 --

Two white-shouldered ibis chicks have hatched in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, said WWF-Cambodia in a news release issued last night.

"We are thrilled to announce that our Biodiversity Research and Monitoring team discovered two white-shouldered ibis chicks in the Mekong Flooded Forest, belonging to the only known white-shouldered ibis nest in the area," said the source.

These are the first chicks that WWF-Cambodia has recorded in the area, and they are about four weeks old based on its monitoring, it pointed out. "This uplifting news brings hope for the future of critically endangered birds across Cambodia," stressed WWF-Cambodia.

"Their recovery is possible when we take action together!" The breeding season for white-shouldered ibis starts in December and last until April.

Giant Ibis is a critically endangered bird species declared Cambodia's national bird, and conservation efforts are crucial to its protection.

Currently, it is estimated that up to 95 percent of the global white-shouldered ibis population resides in Cambodia, with fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining worldwide. Established in 1993, the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of more than 2,000 square kilometres in eastern Cambodia. It is home to wide varieties of mammals, birds and reptiles, as well as some of the country’s endangered species.

By C. Nika