Mariam Longe joined the #WakeUpNigeria for a quick review of her book, Vultures To The Rescue.
The vulture populations in West Africa are undergoing a dramatic decline over the last 30 years. Their particular ecology and sociality makes them vulnerable to various risks, including environmental changes, poisoning and bioaccumulation of toxic substances from agricultural products, pesticides, and veterinary drugs used in cattle livestock
Why Vultures?
I wrote about vultures because I want Nigerians and Africans at large to know the importance of vultures.
A common characteristic among vultures, and possibly one of the reasons people aren’t fond of them, is the visible lack of feathers on their heads and neck.
This is a perfect adaptation for their own health and hygiene. No feathers mean they keep clean while feeding on carcasses because sticking their heads inside the dead body of an animal is a messy business.
Vultures are really important to our environment, and many people do not know that because of wrong narratives like, they’re evil, feed on humans etc.
Vultures help clean up our environment. Feed on our waste and what could cause diseases but unfortunately.
In the book, Mariam highlighted types of Vultures that are indigenous to Nigerians and are critically endangered. They are
- Egyptian vulture
- White-Headed Vulture
- Hooded Vulture
What would happen if vultures became extinct?
According to National Geographic, these endangered scavengers are crucial because “without vultures, reeking carcasses would likely linger longer, insect populations would boom, and diseases would spread – to people, livestock, and other wild animals”.
Why have vultures species become endangered?
Africa is the home of 11 vulture species, of which seven are currently considered critically endangered or endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Vultures face threats on several fronts, all of which have contributed to their species populations decreasing across the continent. One of the major causes is poisoning.
A different kind of threat, but one that is also destroying vulture populations, is their use in traditional medicine. Different body parts of the vulture are believed to heal ailments and give supernatural powers, like clairvoyance.
But apart from the importance of vultures, these birds are incredibly fascinating for other reasons!
Want to know more on why Vultures are important, watch the video below!
