Nigeria's Vulture King Fights to Save Endangered Birds

Published: 05 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Vultures are among nature’s most misunderstood birds. Often associated with death, decay and scavenging, they rarely receive the admiration given to colourful songbirds or majestic birds of prey. Yet across Africa, conservationists warn that the disappearance of vultures is creating a serious ecological problem, with several species now facing the threat of extinction.

In Nigeria, however, one community is demonstrating that protecting the birds is possible when conservation becomes a shared responsibility.

In the south-eastern town of Awka-Etiti, Chukwuemeka Igwe has become known as the “Vulture King” because of his determined efforts to protect the birds. Working with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Igwe has spent years encouraging residents to defend vultures from hunters and helping establish local measures designed to keep the birds safe.

His work is centred around a sacred forest surrounding a shrine dedicated to Nguma, a traditional deity. The forest is considered a protected spiritual place, and residents say vultures have long been associated with the shrine.

“People fear the environment where the shrine is. No evil will ever happen here. So, nobody fights vultures that perch here,” Igwe explains.

The relationship between the community and the birds is rooted in traditional beliefs. Residents sometimes leave animal sacrifices at the shrine, which attract vultures. Their presence is regarded as a positive spiritual sign, suggesting that the deity has accepted the sacrifice and heard the community’s appeal.

For Igwe, however, the importance of the birds extends well beyond spirituality.

He says vultures have been part of everyday life in Awka-Etiti for as long as he can remember, walking among people and feeding on food left around the community.

That relationship stands in sharp contrast to what is happening elsewhere across West Africa, where vulture populations have fallen dramatically.

Conservationists say hunting, poisoning, habitat destruction and the illegal trade in vulture parts are driving the decline. Traditional beliefs and spiritual practices are also contributing to demand for the birds and their body parts in some parts of the region.

According to BirdLife International, poisoning is estimated to account for about 60% of vulture deaths in Africa.

The scale of the decline is alarming. BirdLife says African vulture populations have fallen by between 80% and 97% over the past 50 years. Seven African vulture species are currently classified as globally Endangered or Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

The consequences extend far beyond the loss of individual bird species.

Vultures perform a vital ecological function by consuming dead animals rapidly. Their powerful digestive systems allow them to process carcasses containing dangerous pathogens that could otherwise spread through the environment.

By removing dead animals before they become breeding grounds for bacteria and other organisms, vultures effectively provide a natural sanitation service.

Nigeria Conservation Foundation conservation biologist Stella Egbe says the disappearance of vultures can therefore have consequences for human health.

“In places where the total collapse of vultures has happened, there has been impact of rising zoonotic diseases,” she says.

Vultures can help reduce the risk of diseases such as anthrax and rabies spreading through animal remains. Their absence can leave ecosystems without an important natural barrier against potentially dangerous pathogens.

But the birds themselves are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

Rapid urbanisation has destroyed trees and other habitats where vultures nest. At the same time, poisoning remains a major threat, particularly when birds feed on contaminated carcasses.

The illegal wildlife trade adds another dimension to the crisis.

Conservationists say Nigeria has become a significant hub for the illegal trade in vultures, partly because of its biodiversity and its porous borders. Demand for vulture bodies and body parts has pushed prices sharply higher.

Egbe says dead adult vultures that once sold for around 25,000 to 30,000 Nigerian naira can now fetch as much as 200,000 naira.

The increasing commercial value of the birds creates a dangerous incentive for hunters.

More worrying still, conservationists say hunters are increasingly targeting nests and eggs.

Vultures reproduce slowly compared with many other birds. Adults generally reach sexual maturity between five and seven years old and may produce only one chick every year or two. Many young birds also fail to survive their first year.

That means removing a nest or eggs can have consequences that extend for years.

“You’ve heard shocking news that people are not just going for vultures anymore, they’re going for the nests and even the eggs,” Egbe says.

The situation has made the survival of protected populations particularly important.

Awka-Etiti offers one such example.

For years, the birds remained relatively secure because of the spiritual importance attached to the shrine and its surrounding forest. But Igwe says the situation began to change when outsiders arrived to hunt the birds.

As the number of vultures declined, he became increasingly determined to act.

For the past six years, he has worked with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation to mobilise community leaders, volunteers, local groups and security teams.

Igwe visits markets, bus stations and public spaces to educate people about the importance of vultures.

“I tell them that vulture is helpful to human life,” he says.

His unusual nickname has become part of his conservation identity. Rather than trying to escape the title of Ezeudene, or “King of Vulture”, he has embraced it as a way of drawing attention to his campaign.

“I’m fighting to make nature exist the way it’s supposed to be,” he says.

The community has also introduced local bylaws to strengthen protection for the birds. Volunteers monitor the population and watch for potential threats from outside hunters.

The results are encouraging.

Local monitoring teams have recorded more than 160 vultures, compared with around 20 recorded in 2017.

For a species facing severe population declines across much of Africa, that increase provides an important example of how local conservation can work.

“The missing vultures are almost back,” Igwe says. “If you go to the marketplace now, you see vultures. At one time they disappeared, but now they are coming back.”

The experience also highlights the importance of combining conservation science with local knowledge and cultural traditions.

Rather than asking communities to abandon long-established beliefs, conservationists in Awka-Etiti have worked with residents to build on an existing relationship between people and birds.

The sacred status of the forest has helped provide protection, while modern conservation efforts have strengthened awareness and monitoring.

Nigeria’s authorities are also attempting to tackle the wider illegal wildlife trade.

Abdullahi Maiwada, a spokesman for the Nigerian Customs Service, says officials have seized protected wildlife and supported prosecutions involving illegal trafficking.

Nigeria is a member of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, under which international trade in endangered species is subject to strict controls.

But Maiwada acknowledges that enforcement cannot solve the problem by itself.

“We may not be able to do it without the cooperation or understanding of members of the community,” he says.

His point reflects one of the central lessons from Awka-Etiti. Wildlife protection becomes considerably more effective when local residents understand why an animal matters and actively participate in protecting it.

That approach may become increasingly important as conservationists prepare to review the West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan, originally drafted in 2022.

Researchers and conservation organisations are expected to examine the pressures facing vultures across the region, including poisoning, hunting, habitat loss and illegal trade.

The challenge is enormous.

Seven African vulture species are already considered Endangered or Critically Endangered, while populations have collapsed across much of the continent. The discovery of more vulnerable nests and eggs adds another threat to birds that already reproduce slowly.

Climate and environmental changes could further complicate their future by altering habitats and food availability.

Yet the story of Awka-Etiti provides a reason for cautious optimism.

The return of vultures to a community where their numbers had fallen sharply suggests that populations can recover when hunting is prevented and suitable habitats remain available.

For Igwe, the birds’ return is not simply a conservation statistic. It represents a restoration of something that has long been part of his community’s environment and cultural identity.

For scientists, it is evidence that community-led conservation can make a measurable difference.

And for the wider public, the story offers a reminder that animals often dismissed as unattractive or unpleasant can play essential roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Vultures may feed on death, but their presence helps protect life.

The challenge now is to ensure that the success of Awka-Etiti does not remain an isolated example. Protecting Africa’s remaining vultures will require stronger enforcement, public education, habitat protection and cooperation between communities, conservation organisations and governments.

The Vulture King may have helped bring hundreds of birds back to one corner of Nigeria. But with populations continuing to decline across the continent, his campaign is ultimately part of a much larger fight: keeping one of nature’s most important cleaners in Africa’s skies.

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