» Thai zoo successfully breeds critically endangered vulture

In a rare scientific achievement, a zoo in northeastern Thailand has successfully bred an Asian King vulture, only the second time in history this critically endangered species of bird has been bred in captivity.

Also known as the red-headed vulture, the Asian King vulture disappeared from the wild in Thailand three decades ago. Globally, the number of all vultures has been decreasing drastically, but especially the red-headed vulture.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the red-headed vulture population has essentially halved every other year since the late 1990s. Once a plentiful species…