AKP Phnom Penh, June 05, 2025 -- 

The Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) has announced that one of its Greater Adjutant pairs (Leptoptilos dubius) had successfully raised two chicks that have now fledged, marking a significant milestone in the centre’s ongoing conservation efforts for this remarkable species.

According to ACCB, while this is not their first breeding attempt – in 2023 and last year, it successfully hatched eggs, but unfortunately, the chicks did not survive – this experience has highlighted the challenges of conservation breeding. “Inexperienced parents, like our birds which are rescued from the illegal pet trade, often face difficulties in raising their young due to the lack of crucial lessons typically learned from their own parents,” it said.

The fledglings remain in the care of their parents and, with the support of the government and conservation partners, will be released into protected areas in Cambodia to further strengthen the wild population, reinforcing Cambodia's important conservation role for this species.

In 2023, the Greater Adjutant was downlisted from Endangered to Near Threatened, thanks to successful conservation actions that have increased both subpopulations in Cambodia and northeast India. However, with the global population is still estimated at only 3,180-3,300 birds (with around 750 in Cambodia), continued conservation efforts are essential, the same source added.

By Phal Sophanith