Collapsing towards Extinction? Trade in Birds Carcasses for Traditional Medicine and the Decline of Vulture Population in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Decline in vulture populations have seriously reported in Nigeria as in other habits around the world. Human pressure from poisoning, hunting and trading for traditional medicine are key factors leading to decline of vulture population in northern Nigeria. This study examines vulture trading for traditional medicine as risk factor for the raptors population decline in Katsina with a view to providing baseline information for reviewing conservation policies in the State and Nigeria at large. The study is a survey research involving questionnaire administration and interview of seventy two stakeholders who were sampled using snowball sampling technique as follows: vulture stall owners (n=58) and abattoir employees (n=10) and traditional healers (n= 4). A total of five locations were surveyed based on the understanding that they possess the most specialized fetish markets and important centres of vulture trading in Katsina State. Percentage and mean were used for data analysis. The study found that trading of vulture is proliferating in the area as more than 50% of the stalls were opened between 2016 and 2019. It also revealed that 80% of the fetish stalls are located outside Katsina town for fear of authorities fighting illicit trade of vulture. Also revealed was that prices of vulture vary in space and depend on relationships with customers: a whole vulture costs N21000 (ca. $55.55) which soars as high as N27000 (ca. $75) outside Katsina town and N30000 (ca. $83) in times of scarcity. This study recommended that there is the need to carry out nationwide comprehensive  assessment of trade in avifauna for improving conservation policies and practices in Nigeria.

Keywords: carcasses, fetish stalls, traditional medicine, conservation