THE Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has embarked on a rescue mission tagged “Supporting Community-based Monitoring and Conservation for Vulture Populations in Identified Vulture Safe Zones Across Nigeria” in its efforts to tackle the declining population of vultures and its associated risks to the people.
The Indianapolis Zoo is supporting this project which is part of a series of activities to conserve remnant vultures in the country.
As the world commemorated the International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD), NCF used the opportunity to create more awareness about importance of vulture in the society and harp on some critical efforts the group has put in place to help improve the situation.
The Vulture Safe Zone (VSZ) project is one of the Foundation’s efforts designed to protect remnant vulture populations in their natural environment, support sustainable livelihoods, preserve the ecosystem benefits of the species and promote peaceful and positive coexistence between the people and vultures.
The goal of the project is to reverse the negative trends in the viable populations of vultures found in two selected sites in Nigeria.
Some of the VSZ activities include Stakeholders engagement to identify threats and design livelihood alternatives to associated threats, and training of the local community on vulture population monitoring.
These activities held on July 20 and 21 at Iruowelle Village Community Hall Awka-Etiti Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The training focused on raising the capacity of community-based volunteers within the zones to methodically observe and report the trends in vulture populations in their community.
This is important as it promotes species appreciation and consciousness within the community. The volunteers were also supported with monitoring equipment which include six Binoculars, two GPS units, two mobile phones, data sheets and other writing materials.
Nigeria is home to seven out of the 11 vultures that exist in Africa.
They are Egyptian Vulture- Neophron percnopterus (Endangered), Hooded Vulture – Necrosyrtes monachus (Endangered), White-backed Gyps africanus (Endangered), White-headed Vulture – Trigonoceps occipitalis (Vulnerable), Ruppell’s Griffon – Gyp rueppellii (Endangered), Palm-nut Vulture – Gypohierax angolensis (Least Concern) and Lappet-faced Vulture -Torgos tracheliotus – (endangered).
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