It has been almost 15 years since a vulture was found in the Kingdom, said Dr Narit Bhumipakphan of Kasetsart University's Faculty of Forestry.

In 1992 about 50 red-headed vultures were illegally poisoned to death by hunters in the Huai Kha Khaeng wildlife preserve in Uthai Thani province. Since then, no vulture has been seen in the wild anywhere across the country.

A year ago, Kasetsart researchers were asked by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)'s Cambodian office to join a study on vultures it is conducting in that country.

In an effort to preserve the rare bird, Thai researchers led by Narit and WCS Thailand studied the natural environment of all kinds of vultures and gathered information on those in captivity.

From 20 to 50 years ago, three kinds of vultures could generally be found in the forests and paddy fields in all regions of the country: White-rumped, slender-billed and red-headed vultures. Once they could even be seen in Bangkok, with Wat Sraket being their best-known gathering point.

Two migratory species - Himalayan and Black Himalayan - also flew to Thailand in winter.

Although they already believed the native vultures were extinct, researchers hoped to find that some migratory species living in neighbouring countries were still passing through.

In one project, WCS Cambodia attached small radio transmitters that can be tracked by satellite to three vultures and put ordinary tags on 11 others. Two of the birds with radio transmitters were shot dead in Laos, but it was hoped some of the other birds would fly to Thailand.

But, after a year of asking the public to report sightings of any of the vultures and interviewing forestry officials in many wilderness areas, Thai researchers have not turned up a single vulture.

"We'd have to say we've given up hope. No vultures are flying into the country," Narit said.

Researchers attribute the disappearance of vultures from Thailand to the decline of tigers and other predatory animals, whose prey was a source of food for the birds, and to the contamination of animal remains with herbicides.

Vulture populations in Laos, Cambodia and India are also declining.

"Thais are almost unaware of the bird's disappearance. [The lack of concern] is due to the fact that vultures have been regarded as a bad omen since ancient times. So, far from being concerned about their extinction, people are happy not to see them," Narit said.

If you want to see a vulture in Thailand, he said, Bangkok's Dusit Zoo, Chiang Mai Zoo and Samut Prakan's Crocodile Farm each have one bird. "It would be good if we could do further study and find ways to breed them and return them to their natural environment," Narit said.

Chatrarat Kaewmorakot

The Nation