A Thai zoo has successfully bred a critically endangered Asian king vulture chick for the first time in 30 years.

Korat Zoo Director Thanachon Kensing and Zoological Park Organization of Thailand Director Attaporn Sriharan announced the good news on April 10.

The baby vulture was born to mother Nui and father Jack, and was being closely monitored by vets at the Korat Zoo in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Nui had laid the first egg last January 17, with zookeepers placing it in an incubator for 50 days to increase the survival rate.

The chick was born on March 8, with footage showing the incredible moment it emerged from its shell.

Its birth - the first successful breeding attempt in Thailand - marks an important milestone for the vulture's population, as the species is difficult to breed in captivity. Korat Zoo had previously tried but failed to breed the birds in 2020.

The wide-eyed fledgling has since grown significantly while staff await the hatching of its sibling, which Nui had laid in February 26 and is currently incubating naturally.

Attaporn said: 'There are 23 species of vultures in the world, of which five can be found in Thailand, including the king vulture. Nowadays, it is hard to find vultures in the wild.'

He added that the Asian king vulture, also known as the red-headed vulture, had disappeared from natural habitats in Thailand some 30 years ago. The last group had been spotted at the Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, but were found dead after consuming poison-laced carrion left by hunters as traps for tigers.

Vultures of all species around the world are on a steep decline. The Asian king vulture is designated as critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The IUCN has linked their rapid disappearance to the use of diclofenac - a drug used to treat livestock, but which is highly toxic to the vultures.

There are an estimated 9,000 red-headed vultures living in the wild today.