Vultures Vanishing in Nigeria, but the 'Vulture King' Is Fighting Back

In south-eastern Nigeria, an unlikely alliance of traditional belief and modern conservation is giving vultures a fighting chance. At the heart of this effort is Chukwuemeka Igwe, a man in his 50s who has earned the nickname "King of Vulture" — Ezeudene — for his tireless volunteer work with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF).

A Sacred Refuge

The town of Awka-Etiti is home to a sacred forest surrounding a shrine dedicated to a deity called Nguma. Though the community is largely Christian, some residents maintain traditional practices in which vultures carry spiritual significance. When animal sacrifices are made at the shrine, the arrival of vultures is viewed as a sign that the deity has accepted the offering. "People fear the environment where the shrine is. No evil will ever happen here. So, nobody fights vultures that perch here," Igwe told the BBC. A local saying holds that if no vultures appear after a sacrifice, "something happened in the spirit world."

Nature's Essential Cleaners

Despite their grim reputation, vultures provide one of nature's most vital services. Their powerful stomach acids neutralise dangerous pathogens, allowing them to safely consume infected carcasses. Without them, diseases like anthrax and rabies can spread unchecked. "In places where the total collapse of vultures has happened, there has been impact of rising zoonotic diseases," warns NCF conservation biologist Stella Egbe.

A Species Under Siege

Across Africa, vulture populations have fallen by between 80% and 97% over the past 50 years, according to BirdLife International. Seven species are now Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Around 60% of vulture deaths on the continent are caused by poisoning, while rapid urban growth continues to destroy the tall trees where these birds nest.

Demand for vulture parts in traditional medicine and Vodun (Voodoo) practices is among the most serious drivers of decline in West and southern Africa. In Nigeria, dead adult vultures once sold for 25,000 to 30,000 naira ($18–$22); today a single bird can fetch up to 200,000 naira ($145). Eggs and nests are also being targeted — a catastrophic development for a species that reaches sexual maturity only between ages five and seven and raises at most one chick every one to two years. In January 2020, more than 2,000 hooded vultures were found dead in Guinea-Bissau, many beheaded.

Turning the Tide in Awka-Etiti

When outsiders began arriving to poach the birds, Igwe mobilised community leaders, local groups and security teams to resist them. New local bylaws now formally protect vultures in the area. Volunteer monitors have recorded more than 160 vultures in the town — up from roughly 20 in 2017, when Igwe first partnered with the NCF. He travels to markets, buses and public spaces spreading a simple message: "I tell them that vulture is helpful to human life."

Later this year, researchers from across the region will meet in Abuja to review the West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan, first drafted in 2022. For Igwe, the fight is personal: "I'm fighting to make nature exist the way it's supposed to be."