Trade of threatened vultures and other raptors for fetish and bushmeat in West and Central Africa

Buij, Ralph; Nikolaus, Gerhard; Whytock, Robin C.; Ingram, Daniel J.; Ogada, Darcy

doi:10.1017/s0030605315000514

Cited by 87 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…In many such practices, vultures or their parts constitute the main component with no other comparable alternative animal group (Beilis and Esterhuizen 2006). Many traditional healers, who prescribe vultures or vulture parts as key components to be used in healing, have fueled unsustainable harvesting of many species of vultures (Buij et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulture declines, threats and conservation: the attitude of the indigenous Ghanaian

Deikumah¹

2019

Bird Conservation International

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SummaryUnderstanding the attitude of people towards vultures, especially factors that influence behaviours that support their conservation, is crucial if the decline in vultures is to be slowed and reversed. Their vital ecosystem function in keeping the environment free of carcasses and reducing the spread of disease is not yet appreciated in Ghana. Little is known about the attitude of Ghanaians’ about vultures. Structured questionnaires and key informant surveys were employed with a sample size of 460 respondents randomly selected across Ghana. Over 85% of respondents were familiar with the Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus and vultures were culturally important to 56% of respondents. Diseases that affect livestock are claimed to be treated with chemicals such as diclofenac sodium to which vultures are highly susceptible globally and livestock carcasses were not available to vultures as 53% of respondents bury carcasses. A new poisoning pathway has emerged in which furadan is used to poison wildlife for bushmeat and the offal removed which is then consumed by vultures, as indicated by 78% of respondents. The majority of respondents positively thought vultures were important and must be protected. Poisoning, habitat loss particularly the loss of silk cotton tree Ceiba pentandra and trade in vulture parts for traditional medicine are major threats to vultures in Ghana. Continuous awareness creation, positive attitude towards the environment, vulture conservation programmes and protection of breeding sites were some urgent conservation actions recommended to ensure the survival of vultures.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulture declines, threats and conservation: the attitude of the indigenous Ghanaian

Deikumah¹

2019

Bird Conservation International

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“…Many African raptor species are suffering regional or continent-wide declines, driven by a wide range of factors (Thiollay 2006a(Thiollay ,b, 2007Virani et al 2011;Ogada et al 2015). Species at greatest risk are those most affected by illegal poisoning, the bushmeat trade, killing for traditional 'medicines', or through collisions with energy infrastructure (Jenkins et al 2010;Otieno et al 2010;Virani et al 2011;McKean et al 2013;Ogada 2014;Ogada et al 2015Ogada et al , 2016Buij et al 2016). Since vulnerability to these threats often coincides within species, some African raptors now face a perfect storm of adverse conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Densities and population sizes of raptors in Uganda’s conservation areas

Pomeroy

Kibuule

Nalwanga

et al. 2019

Ostrich

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Projected increases in Africa's human population over the next 40 years point to further, large-scale conversion of natural habitats into farmland, with far-reaching consequences for raptor species, some of which are now largely restricted to protected areas (PAs). To assess the importance of PAs for raptors in Uganda, we conducted an annual road survey through savanna, pastoral and agricultural land during 2008-2015. Here, we present density estimates for 34 diurnal raptor species, 17 of which were encountered largely or entirely within PAs. These included seven out of eight globally threatened or near-threatened species surveyed. Based mainly on published demographic values, we converted density estimates (birds 100 km-2) to numbers of adult pairs, for 10 resident, savanna-dependent species. We then estimated adult population sizes within conservation areas (individual PAs and clusters of contiguous PAs), based on the area of savanna in each site. This suggested that two threatened residents, Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus and Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos, have national breeding populations of just 53-75 and 74-105 pairs, respectively. A third species, Whiteheaded Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis, may have a breeding population of just 22-32 pairs. In each case, at least 90% of pairs are thought to reside within Uganda's five largest conservation areas. In three cases our estimates of pair density were markedly lower than in other studies, while in six cases they were broadly consistent with published findings, often derived using more intensive survey methods. Further work is required to determine the accuracy of our estimates for individual conservation areas, and to assess the long-term viability of Uganda's threatened raptor populations.

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“…However, along with legal trade, literature shows that there is an increasing black market of illegal wildlife trade that is mostly focused on species used as luxury goods and for food, as well as for traditional medicine, pets and entertainment (e.g. Baker et al ., ; Buij et al ., ; Whytock et al ., ). For example, annually, hundreds of raptors are legally and illegally traded for falconry and collecting in Asia (World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Vladivostok, ; Wyatt, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive demographic effects of nest surveillance campaigns to counter illegal harvest of the Bonelli's eagle in Sicily (Italy)

Vittorio

Rannisi

Trapani

et al. 2017

Animal Conservation

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Illegal trade in wildlife has been identified as one of the main challenges to wildlife conservation. In 2010, an illegal trade-ring trafficking in birds of prey was uncovered in Sicily (southern Italy). This illegal trade targeted the three most endangered species in Italy: Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata, Lanner falcon Falco biarmicus and Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus, all of them long-lived territorial raptors threatened with extinction across their European distribution. Illegal harvest primarily involved young birds and eggs taken from nests. After the discovery of these activities, surveillance camps and camera traps connected to the mobile Global System for Mobile communications network were established in nine Bonelli's eagle breeding sites in which illegal harvest was reported. Surveillance activities resulted in a sharp reduction in illegal harvest that has contributed to the recent increase in population size and number of breeding pairs of Bonelli's eagle in the island. This population represents 95% of the entire Italian population and is catalogued as Critically Endangered in this country. Importantly, our results highlight the impact of illegal harvest on the population dynamics of endangered species as demonstrated by a population viability analysis. This is particularly important in the case of insular species for which demographic recovery due to immigration from other geographic areas is unlikely. Systematic patrols by forestry police authorities, a resolute application of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species legislation via legal punishment, and the requirement of including all live captive specimens used for falconry in an obligatory DNA data bank would contribute to reducing the risk of extinction for small populations of endangered species of birds of prey.

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Trade of threatened vultures and other raptors for fetish and bushmeat in West and Central Africa

Cited by 87 publications

References 41 publications

Vulture declines, threats and conservation: the attitude of the indigenous Ghanaian

Vulture declines, threats and conservation: the attitude of the indigenous Ghanaian

Densities and population sizes of raptors in Uganda’s conservation areas

Positive demographic effects of nest surveillance campaigns to counter illegal harvest of the Bonelli's eagle in Sicily (Italy)

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