Phnom Penh (FN), July 28 - Endangered Greater Adjutant chicks have successfully fledged from 175 nests in the Prek Toal Ramsar Site in Cambodia and disbursed across the country, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)’s press release on Thursday.

The nests were protected for six months by conservationists from Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment, Prek Toal village, and WCS.

The Big Adjutant is the largest of its kind and is 1.5 meters in height. They are on the Red List of IUCN, the most endangered species in the world.

“An estimated 800-1,000 mature individuals exist globally and 150-200 pairs live in Prek Toal, the only known breeding site in Southeast Asia. Only 800 to 1,000 adult swans are living in the world. In addition, 150-200 large pairs of animals live in the Ramsar Prefecture, the last remaining insemination for Southeast Asia,” according to WCS.

"I have a strong commitment to work with group conservationists to protect the wildlife. I am happy to see Big Adjutants and other animals live in safe places," said Chun Chhuom, former egg collector and now a nest protector

“A community in Prek Toal knows the important of protecting water birds, and these animals help them to earn money through tourism,” he added.

Prek Toal is home to the world’s second largest Greater Adjutant breeding colony after that in Assam, India.

The site is the premier freshwater wetland area on the Tonle Sap Great Lake, and is well known for its incredible biological, social and economic resources.

In October 2015, Prek Toal was designated a Ramsar Site due to its global significance for conservation.
=FRESH NEWS