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Endangered Vultures Killed for Rituals in Nigeria

Chika Oduah

   ENUGU, NIGERIA - Across Nigeria, there's a rising demand for
   vultures,and poachersaredriving the local population of four large
   vulture species to near extinction.
   The [1]Nigerian Conservation Foundation is now placing vulture
   preservation high on its agenda, hoping to revive the threatened
   population. Abidemi Balogun, a senior special conservation officer with
   the foundation's educational unit, is engaging with local communities
   where superstitions and folklore about the birdspersist.
   "Someone actually asked me howdo theyidentity the evil ones because
   there's been a belief that vultures are evil birds," Balogun told VOA
   with a laugh.
   She's been with the foundation for eight years and saidvulture poaching
   was not taken seriously in the past.

   Spiritual practices

   She said that the birds aren't being hunted for consumption as much as
   they're being killed for spiritual practices. In 2017, the foundation
   conducted a market survey to see how the birdswere traded.
   "Some of the findings that we made is that the head is used for ritual
   purposes and the head is the most expensive part of it," shesaid.
   In local markets, vulture feathers are sold for about 100 naira, or
   less than50 cents. But the head can fetch up to 25,000 naira, or about
   $70.
   In Nigeria's diverse cultural landscape, the beliefs around vultures
   vary widely. In the southwest, where they're calledigún, vulturesare
   seen assacred in traditional spirituality. According to folklore, they
   can be used to communicate with the dead or to appease the gods in
   elaborate sacrificial ceremonies.
   In northern Nigeria, they are consumed. But they're also sold by
   traders known asyanshinfidato be used in traditional medicine and
   spiritual healing.

   Treatments

   A 2013 [2]reportcited traders in the north marketing vulture parts to
   treat epilepsy, mental instabilityandstroke,as well asto
   offersupernatural protection, good luck, pain reliefandrelief forwomen
   in labor. Some say the head possesses clairvoyant powers.
   In southeastern Nigeria, the bird is not eaten and has no place in
   traditional spirituality, IkeNwakammaofthe Nigerian Supreme Council of
   Traditional Worshippers told VOA. He said it is viewed as
   unclean,andtherefore unacceptable to traditional gods. People don't
   want them around, whether alive or dead.
   That's why an incident that happened in July caused panic at a local
   market.
   Amateur videos captured shocked and fearful reactions at the sight of
   50 dead vultures on the ground at Eke-Ihemarket in theAwgucommunity, in
   the southeastern state of Enugu.
   Igwe GodwinEkoh, the traditional ruler ofIheand the chairman of
   theAgwuTraditional Rulers Council, told VOA that a poacherhadkilled the
   vultures en masse, using poisoned meat,to sell the corpses.
   Vulture trafficking has become a lucrative trade. TheNIgerian
   Conservationfoundation said500 tons of vultures are trafficked every
   month.
   BirdLifeInternational, a global partnership organization, said
   thatacross Africa, vulture populations have virtually collapsed in the
   last 30 years, with poisoning as the major threat.
   In June, 537 vultures were found dead in Botswana's northeast, after
   ingesting poison left by elephant poachers.
   BirdLifeInternational describes vultures as nature's sanitary workers,
   worthy of being celebrated.

   Vulture workshops
   In Enugu last week, IgweEkohattended a forum that was organized by
   theNigerianConservation Foundation for International Vulture Awareness
   Day, heldon the first Saturdayevery September. The foundation held
   workshops inJalingo, IbadanandSokoto as well as Enugu.
   Attendants at the Enugu edition went to a popular market to talk to
   meat butchers and asked them to inform authorities if they ever
   sawvulture parts being sold.
   IgweEkohsaid he left the forum with a newfound appreciation for
   vultures, saying he learned about how they are vital to reducing the
   spread of bacteria of dead animals.
   A local NGO, theSouth Saharan Development Organization (SSDO),has
   agreed to partner with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation. SSDO will
   set up conservation clubs for high school students to learn about the
   environment and the role of animals, including vultures, in sustaining
   nature.
   "It's holistic," SSDO's executive director,Dr. StanleyIlechukwu,told
   VOA.

References

   1. https://www.ncfnigeria.org/
   2. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/vulnew/article/view/168913

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