Vulture inhabitants in Nigeria declined by 95% over the previous 15, 20 years – NCF

The director-general of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Dr Joseph Onoja, has raised the alarm that vulture populations in Nigeria have declined by 95 per cent over the previous 15 to twenty years.

Onoja stated that the belief-based exploitation, poisoning and habitat destruction have been pushing the scavenger birds in direction of extinction.

He famous this throughout a regional workshop on Strengthening Coordination and Implementation for West Africa Vulture Conservation, organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), BirdLife International and different conservation companions Wednesday in Abuja.

Onoja stated though Nigeria had not performed a latest nationwide census to determine the precise variety of vultures remaining, out there observations indicated a major discount of their inhabitants.

“If we had 100 vultures 15 or 20 years ago, 95 per cent of them would have been killed. Only five per cent are remaining,” he stated.

He added that one of many main threats to vultures in Nigeria was the assumption that their physique elements, significantly their heads, possess supernatural powers able to attracting wealth, good luck and success.

“There is not any scientific proof to assist claims that vulture physique elements possess such powers.

“The birds’ distinctive bald heads, that are an evolutionary adaptation that permits them to feed effectively on animal carcasses, have additionally contributed to those beliefs.

“Their featherless heads allow them to penetrate carcasses without soiling feathers, making it easier to feed on decomposing remains,” he stated.