Disney Conservation Fund Helps Environment Society of Oman Support Endangered Vultures and the Habitats They Need To Thrive

The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) has been awarded a grant by the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) for its work to protect Oman’s Vultures. During its 25th anniversary year, the Disney Conservation Fund is proud to continue providing critical support to community-led conservation efforts globally. The fund has been supporting local efforts around the world aimed at saving wildlife, inspiring action and protecting the planet with more than $100 million distributed to non-profit organizations since 1995.

The Sultanate is a stronghold for a number of raptor species whose declining populations are a cause for concern, including the Egyptian Vulture, the Steppe Eagle and the Lappet-faced Vulture. The fund will support field efforts to survey and monitor the breeding of both Egyptian and Lappet-face vultures, but also include assessing their numbers at dumpsites, electrocution risk assessment and tracking via satellite. In addition, the project will also undertake advocacy, education, and outreach campaigns about raptors, specifically vultures, in Oman. Initial field work will commence in February 2021 in Muscat and surrounding areas, as well as the Island of Masirah.  

Maïa Sarrouf Willson, Research & Conservation Manager at the Environment Society of Oman, said, “Vultures often suffer from negative perceptions yet they play an extremely valuable role in our ecosystem as nature’s waste managers. With support from the Disney Conservation Fund we will be able to understand these endangered species better, share our findings with the conservation community and the wider public, and help us raise awareness of the true value of these species, not just to Oman, but all over the world.”

DCF grant recipients are selected based on their efforts to implement comprehensive community wildlife conservation programs, stabilize and increase populations of at-risk animals and engage communities in conservation in critical ecosystems around the world.

For information on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature and a complete list of grant recipients, visit www.disney.com/conservation.