National Center for Wildlife launches Saudi Arabia's first vulture feeding guidelines

The National Center for Wildlife in Saudi Arabia has launched the country’s first national guideline for vulture feeding stations. Developed in collaboration with five international organizations, the manual aims to protect both resident and migratory vultures by mitigating the risk of poisoning, which is a major threat to their survival.

The guidelines provide a technical and operational framework for establishing and managing these feeding stations, often referred to as ‘vulture restaurants.’ The manual covers site selection, ensuring the provision of safe and controlled food sources, operational procedures, and methods for monitoring vulture populations and behavior. This approach is designed to accommodate the specific environmental and logistical needs of the Kingdom’s arid regions.

International partners involved in the development of the guide include the IUCN Vulture Specialist Group, the Saving Asian Vultures (SAVE) initiative, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), and the Memorandum of Understanding on African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds. The initiative has been recognized through the CMS platform as a leading practical solution for species protection.