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Hope for vultures in Nigeria as some belief-based users adopt plant alternatives

Using plants instead of vulture parts for belief-based practices is helping to tackle poaching of the birds in some regions of Nigeria, say conservationists. Vulture populations have collapsed in Nigeria. The country was once home to seven vulture species; recent surveys recorded only two, the critically endangered hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) and the palm-nut vulture (Gypohierax angolensis). Habitat loss, poisoning and poaching for belief-based uses, such as the use of vulture parts in traditional medicines or to bring luck or success, are the primary drivers of their rapid decline. In recent years conservation groups, including the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), have engaged with traditional medicine practitioners to reduce demand for vulture parts. Stella Egbe, species conservation manager at NCF, told Mongabay that many practitioners are switching to plant alternatives, likely because of awareness-raising, increased law enforcement and higher prices of vulture parts in some regions. Chief Samson Ola Soyoye, vice president of the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners, told Mongabay the use of vulture parts has a long history in medicinal practices in Nigeria. “That's when the vultures were many but now [they are] rapidly going into extinction,” he said. “My view is to look for alternative plants instead of vultures.” More than 20 plants are now used in place of vulture parts in some places, Egbe said, adding that the conservation status of the plant alternatives also needs to be assessed. To date, the African mahogany tree (Khaya ivorensis), also known as oganwo, is the only species used as an alternative by practitioners that is assessed by the IUCN Red List. It’s listed as vulnerable owing to large declines in numbers. Another species, the violet tree (Securidaca longipedunculata), known locally as ipeta, is also thought to be declining owing to overharvesting. Egbe said NCF plans to cultivate medicinal plant species that are at risk of being overharvested in protected areas. Soyoye said his organization has had success engaging with registered practitioners in southwest Nigeria to encourage the uptake of plant alternatives, but awareness needs raising to reach more. Enforcement at a national level to tackle vulture killings and the sale of their parts in markets is also required, he said. Regional differences in the uptake of plant alternatives follows patterns of traditional beliefs, said Michael Manja Williams, a PhD Candidate at the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University. In south and east Nigeria, cultural norms generally prohibit the killing of vultures, aligning with conservation messages, so practitioners are often more willing to stop using their parts, he told Mongabay. In the north and west, beliefs link the presence or sight of vultures to bad luck or ill omens and demand for vulture parts appears to be growing there. Overall, Egbe said she is “cautiously optimistic” about the progress made, but added “We're still far away from celebrating the successful recovery of vulture populations.”. Banner image: A hooded vulture. Image by Mibby23 via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).

A hooded vulture. Image by Mibby23 via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).

Before tourists can see bonobos, trackers must earn their trust

Founder's Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries.

In Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, researchers and trackers are working to habituate a group of about 60 bonobos. The aim is to help the great apes accept a limited human presence, first for research, and later for carefully managed tourism. The process is slow. Trackers may leave camp around 3 a.m. to reach the previous night’s nesting site before the bonobos (Pan paniscus) wake. They then follow the group through the forest until the endangered apes build new nests in the evening. “The whole idea of habituation is that you meet the group every day in a very friendly, non-interactive way so they accept you as part of the forest,” Felix Bofeko, an assistant researcher in the program, told Mongabay’s David Akana. Habituation requires the same people, same restraint, and same routine, repeated long enough for the animals to stop treating human presence as a threat. When the work began, the bonobos fled at the sight of people. Now, Bofeko says, researchers can sometimes remain with them for two or three hours. Two visitors may be tolerated. Three or four may still be too many. The work has value even before tourism begins. Habituated animals can be observed more closely. Researchers can collect fecal and urine samples for genetic, pathogen, and diet analysis. Salonga is part of the Bonobo Diversity Project gathering standardized data across the DRC. Camera traps and acoustic monitoring are also being introduced, with the hope that real-time systems could eventually detect gunshots and help guide patrols. Health risks must be managed carefully. Great apes are vulnerable to human-borne diseases, including respiratory infections. Salonga’s staff follow screening and hygiene protocols, wear masks near bonobos, and keep a minimum distance from the animals. The closer conservation gets to wildlife, the more it depends on discipline. The project also shows how much field conservation depends on local relationships. Salonga’s managers have hired locals, including former hunters whose knowledge of the forest makes them strong trackers. More than 10 local people now have jobs linked to the project. Park staff have also installed internet hubs and complaints channels in nearby communities, giving residents a more regular way to communicate with management. That work matters because many people around Salonga have long associated the park with restrictions, enforcement, and arrests for poaching. Bonobo tourism remains a future prospect. The more immediate change is that some residents are being paid for knowledge that once supported hunting and is now being used for protection. For funders and conservation planners, Salonga offers a useful lesson. The visible result may one day be a visitor watching bonobos in the forest. The work behind it is less visible: patient tracking, health protocols, local hiring, basic infrastructure, and enough continuity for both people and animals to adjust. Read the full story by David Akana here. Banner image: A bonobo in Salonga National Park. Image courtesy of Alice Péretié/Chengeta Wildlife.

A bonobo observes its surroundings from the canopy in Salonga National Park. Earning the trust of wild bonobos is a painstaking process that begins before dawn and can take years to achieve. Photo by Alice Péretié / Chengeta Wildlife.

A few seconds with one of West Africa’s rarest birds

Founder's Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries.

The white-necked picathartes is easy to miss. In Taï National Park, in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire, it nests beneath rocky overhangs, shaping mud cups against stone walls deep inside the forest. It may appear for only a few seconds, long enough to show its bare yellow head, black cheek patches, and long-legged frame, before it vanishes again into the trees. The bird’s elusiveness reflects the kind of habitat it needs, reports contributor Ryan Truscott for Mongabay. Taï is the largest intact remnant of the Upper Guinean rainforest, a forest type that once stretched across much of West Africa. Its boulders, old animal trails, giant mahoganies, duikers, hornbills, monkeys, and river hogs are part of a system that still retains much of its original complexity. The white-necked picathartes (Picathartes gymnocephalus) depends on rocky nesting sites and surrounding forest cover. Other species help maintain the forest itself. Hornbills, primates, and mammals move seeds through the canopy and across the forest floor, helping trees and lianas regenerate far from their parent plants. That makes Taï important beyond the survival of any single rare species. Protected areas are often judged by their boundaries, patrol numbers, and better-known animals. A fuller measure is whether ecological relationships continue: animals using long-established routes, seed dispersers moving between fruiting trees, birds returning to nesting walls, and rangers knowing enough of the forest to find those places again. Keeping those relationships intact depends on ordinary field capacity. Rangers need training, equipment, safe access, and time in the forest. Local organizations need support to monitor species whose decline may be easy to miss until it is advanced. Conservation groups need to treat field signs, ranger knowledge, and repeated observations as evidence. Asked what the white-necked picathartes means to Ivorians, ranger Gliman Hyacinthe gave Truscott a simple answer: “It’s rare. It’s beautiful.” In Taï, the bird also points to a forest where the conditions for rare species are still present. Read Ryan Truscott’s story here. Banner image: A white-necked picathartes (Picathartes gymnocephalus). These curious-looking birds frequent boulder-strewn parts of the rainforest, building their nests on stone walls of overhangs and caves. Image by Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-NC 4.0).

The remnants of Upper Guinean Tropical Rainforest within Sierra Leone are home to a multitude of species, many of them threatened, such as the white-necked rockfowl (Picathartes gymnocephalus). Image by Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Demand for vultures in West Africa threatens Central African populations

Conservationists warn that vulture populations in central African countries like Chad are increasingly at risk due to belief-based use in Nigeria and Benin. Abiola Sylvestre Chaffra, a research fellow at the International Bird Conservation Partnership, told Mongabay he was out in Chad, photographing vultures, when a man offered to help him capture the birds. Vultures love donkey meat, the man said. All Chaffra had to do was buy a donkey and leave its poisoned carcass in the open. The man told Chaffra he had helped many people catch vultures this way. In West African countries like Nigeria and Benin, vultures are poached both alive and dead for beliefs that they bring luck, success or protection against witchcraft. Vulture parts, including head and feet, eggs and nests, are also used. This demand is now reaching vulture populations in Central Africa. [caption id="attachment_321506" align="alignnone" width="750"]

A juvenile hooded vulture for sale at a market in Benin. Image by Abiola Sylvestre Chaffra.

A juvenile hooded vulture for sale at a market in Benin. Image courtesy of Abiola Sylvestre Chaffra.[/caption] In a recent paper, researchers detailed how critically endangered hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) were absent around most slaughterhouses and landfill sites they visited near N’Djamena, Chad’s capital. “That doesn't really make sense, because there's a ton of food,” said study co-author Nico Arcilla, president of the International Bird Conservation Partnership. Nearly half the local residents interviewed by the researchers said they knew of recent poisoning incidents in the area, and more than one-third stated they were aware of poachers from countries such as Nigeria, Niger, Benin and Cameroon trapping or killing vultures. “The driver appears to be coming from West Africa, and it generally seems to point back to Benin or Nigeria,” Arcilla said. Belief-based use practices appear to be largely absent in Chad, she added. In another study, led by Chaffra, surveys in Benin’s traditional markets found that while most vultures on sale originated from other West African countries, such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Niger, there were also birds from Cameroon and Gabon. Another 2025 market survey in Benin found a small number of birds sourced from Cameroon. A 2014 paper revealed that vulture parts on sale in Nigeria were sourced from as far as Sudan. “In several cases, trade appears to cross national borders, highlighting the need for regional cooperation to better understand and combat these networks,” Chaffra said. Darcy Ogada, program director at The Peregrine Fund who wasn’t involved in the research, said it isn’t surprising the supply chain is very far-reaching since vultures in West Africa have become scarce. “That should raise the alarm,” Ogada added. “It's going to keep moving to where populations are relatively much better.” Arcilla said that awareness-raising in communities, law enforcement, and conservation efforts are urgently needed, targeting both natural and urban areas where vultures persist. “It is also necessary to continue research into supply chains and to promote sustainable alternatives in order to reduce demand for vultures and their parts,” Chaffra said. Banner image: A pair of hooded vultures. Image by Nico Arcilla.

: A pair of hooded vultures. Image by Nico Arcilla.

Conservation efforts by families displaced for national park sees success in DRC

Descendants of families forcibly displaced during the creation of Maiko National Park in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo back in the 1970s are now leading a new wave of community-led conservation. Gangala Yafali Mangusa Jr., from one such displaced family, is the head of the Bamasobha Local Community Forest Concession (CFCL), covering roughly 29,000 hectares (71,700 acres), where he oversees patrols that monitor illegal hunting, logging and mining. His team also works to strengthen coexistence between communities and the forest, and to promote sustainable management of natural resources. Mongabay-Africa contributor Jérémie Kyaswekera reports that Mangusa Jr.’s commitment stems from a history of conflict between his community and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) following the creation of Maiko National Park, home to the eastern lowland gorilla, forest elephants and chimpanzees. “At one point, park rangers from the ICCN came and set up camp, and they began patrolling, forbidding people from entering the forest and eating meat, even though these Indigenous communities had been living off meat [and fruit] for generations,” Mangusa Jr. said. That led to long-standing disagreements, forcing communities to move elsewhere, he added. The Bamasobha CFCL represents a shift toward inclusive forest management. Supported by the Peasants' Association for the Rehabilitation and Protection of Pygmies (PREPPYG), the communities of Bamasobha developed a management plan in 2023 that balances biodiversity protection with human needs through distinct production and conservation zones. The impact has been significant: Satellite data from Global Forest Watch shows forest loss in the concession dropped from 940 hectares (2,320 acres) in 2024 to 120 hectares (296 acres) in 2025. Community forest concessions are expanding across the DRC as an alternate conservation model. Between Kahuzi-Biega National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve, both in eastern DRC, the NGO Strong Roots Congo is developing a 1-million-hectare (2.5-million-acre) biodiversity corridor with dozens of CFCLs. Olivier Ndoole Bahemuke, an analyst and researcher on forest governance issues, said CFCLs can serve as a model for Indigenous communities deprived of forest resources following the creation of protected areas. But challenges remain, including insecurity from terrorists in the region, which has led to displacement of community members and people from outside the communities sometimes entering the CFCL conservation zone to hunt animals, sources told Mongabay. Still, Ndoole Bahemuke said he sees CFCLs as a vital alternative. He noted that when communities accept this model, it is "an extension of the wildlife protection practices of their ancestors." Read the full story by Jérémie Kyaswekera here. Banner image: Aerial view of forest and river in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Image by MONUSCO/Myriam Asmani via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

To help combat illegal fishing, 15 countries commit to sharing fisheries data

Fifteen countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe adopted the Mombasa Declaration on June 17, 2026. Together, they committed to advance global fisheries transparency and strengthen efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The declaration was adopted during the 11th meeting of the international Our Ocean Conference, held in Mombasa, Kenya. Africa had the most countries signing on: Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, the Republic of the Congo and Somalia. “In my country, our very existence depends on fish,” said Emelia Arthur, Ghana's Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, in a statement shared with Mongabay. “Sixty percent of our animal protein comes from fish, and ten percent of our population depends on the fisheries value chain for livelihood. Fisheries are a matter of culture and national security for us. I'm happy that Ghana is among the first countries to sign the Mombasa Declaration," she added. Countries hope that by working together to harmonize regulations and share information on vessels operating in their territorial waters, they will become more effective in their fight against IUU fishing. "Illegal fishing perpetrators are getting more and more sophisticated in the way they are evading from one country's laws and regulations by moving to another one,” Cephas Asare told Mongabay in a phone call. Asare is the West Africa regional manager for the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), a British NGO working to combat illegal fishing. “This needs to end. That is why we need to address the issue together, to be more transparent to track them and hopefully end illegal fishing," Asare said. Among the measures promoted by the declaration, signatory countries have committed to adopting the Global C harter for F isheries T ransparency. The charter calls for publishing fishing licenses, authorizations, access agreements and fishing quota allocations. It also encourages countries to ensure that all industrial fishing vessels have unique vessel identifiers (UVIs) and to progressively implement UVIs for small-scale vessels. During a press conference in Mombasa, the signatory countries called on representatives from other coastal states to adopt the declaration as well. Asare told Mongabay that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs West African countries millions of dollars every year, threatens fish stocks and undermines food security for millions of people. Banner image: A cross-section of canoes after fishing in Marshall, Liberia. Image by Edward Blamo for Mongabay.

A cross section of canoes after fishing in Marshall, Liberia. Image by Edward Blamo for Mongabay.

Sea turtle hunters become their protectors in Cabo Verde

Former sea turtle hunters in Cabo Verde, off the coast of West Africa, have shifted to working in loggerhead turtle conservation along the archipelago nation’s main nesting beaches. The change was propelled by 2018 legislation that criminalized killing threatened turtle species, Sonam Lama Hyolmo reported for Mongabay. Rangers, around a dozen of which used to poach or hunt turtles, now patrol key beaches where turtles lay their eggs, walking several kilometers each night during the nesting season, which runs from June to October. Turtle meat is historically consumed in Cabo Verde and many other regions, which has created a conflict between conservation needs and local customs. However, awareness campaigns and employment opportunities are helping to bridge that gap. “I had turtle meat for personal consumption and never realized I could make a living out of conserving them,” Roni Nelson Batista Ramos, a ranger and camp coordinator at the Turtle Foundation, told Mongabay. “But now, I guard them against the poachers, and it’s motivating to see how these efforts have driven positive impacts for their conservation.” Ramos and others monitor around 31 kilometers (19 miles) of coastline, patrolling the beaches on foot, and using drones and dogs for added assistance. Roughly two-thirds of loggerhead turtle nesting activity in Cabo Verde happens on the eastern island of Boa Vista, which has seen a dramatic decline in illegal turtle hunting, according to the Turtle Foundation. In 2007, 1,253 female loggerheads were illegally caught on the island; by 2024 there were just 20. Over the same period, loggerhead turtle nests on Boa Vista increased more than sevenfold. Cabo Verde's loggerhead turtle population is the largest in the east Atlantic Ocean and the third largest in the world, after Oman and southeast Florida. Another four of the world's seven sea turtle species roam the waters of the Cabo Verde archipelago: the green turtles (Chelonia mydas), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and the critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Fishing bycatch is another significant threat to sea turtles in the region. In 2024, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) renewed a five-year allowance for 56 fishing vessels from Spain, Portugal and France to fish in Cabo Verdean waters. Read the full story here. Banner image: A ranger measuring a turtle’s shell and collecting data at the Canto camp. Image courtesy of The Turtle Foundation.

A ranger measuring a turtle’s shell and collecting data at the Canto camp. Image courtesy of The Turtle Foundation.

How one woman's farm is a model for small-scale farmers in Malawi

In Malawi’s Chiradzulu district, located in the southern region of the country, Diana Sitima's farm shows how a combination of agroecology and secure land ownership can create a thriving commercial enterprise. Many neighboring farmers rely primarily on growing and selling maize. But, on her 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) farm, Sitima combines diverse crops of fruits and vegetables with fishponds and livestock to protect soil health and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers, reports Mongabay contributor Charles Mpaka. Sitima started farming as a side hustle in 1993 while working as an office assistant. At the time she used microloans to rent small parcels of land. By 2006, she had saved enough to purchase her own property, a move she describes as the most critical step toward her success. In 2026, Sitima’s farm is "almost 100% organic," she says. She uses a biodigester to turn manure into biogas for cooking and to power an egg incubator, while growing aquatic ferns to supplement livestock feed. “The animals and the crops support each other in various ways,” Sitima tells Mongabay. The farm’s productivity has led to significant economic results. It generates approximately $1,200 in weekly sales and provides permanent employment for six workers. Sitima attributes her growth to persistent learning, having relied on technical advisors from the government for two decades. Beyond her own fields, Sitima serves as a mentor and the chairperson for a local chapter of the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA), a grassroots network supporting nearly 200,000 small-scale women farmers across 11 countries in Southern Africa. RWA’s Malawi chapter has more than 2,000 members. Through the RWA, Sitima says she’s learned from experiences of other women farmers in the region. In turn, she helps other, less fortunate, women access microfinance and learn soil-building techniques, such as agroforestry, which has helped some small-scale women farmers double their maize harvests. Central to Sitima’s advocacy is the importance of land titles for women. She argues that permanent land rights are essential for the long-term investment required by agroecology. “When you are renting land or expect someone to push you out anytime, you can’t implement your ideas,” she says. Through her work with the RWA, she continues to push for the financial and technical support necessary to make her success the norm rather than the exception. Read the full story by Charles Mpaka here. Banner image: Growing groundnuts near Khulungira, Malawi: Women are the backbone of smallholder agriculture in the country, though few women own land. Image by Mann/ILRI via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).