The Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) has engaged Anambra and Enugu communities on effective awareness for safety and strong protection of vulture in the states.
The Head of Communications of the foundation, Oladapo Soneye in an interview in Abuja on Friday said that the NCF had embarked on sensitising and empowering the two states in their various communities for protection and conservation of vulture in their localities.
The objective of the sensitisation was to improve and enhance the capabilities and skills of interested volunteers in monitoring of vulture within “Vulture Save Zone” (VSZ) in the states.
He said that the commitment was to engage those who had been volunteered to monitor the VSZ such as market women association, youth groups, community leaders among others.
He said that the effort was to ensure that the endangered species were protected.
He said that the sensitisations were focused on Awka Ekiti and Idemili South local government areas (LGAs).
“During the awareness, a total of 35 individuals in the communities from seven villages of the LGAs assembled in Awka Ekiti community town hall.
“The people were educated on the need or importance of existing vultures within their communities.
“The same meeting was hosted with 38 individuals in various communities at Ihe Awgu LGA of Enugu state.
“Essentially, the purpose was to educate the communities on the benefits of the species existence to them.
“The meeting was graced with diverse target group; market women, hunters, youth group and butchers from abattoirs where the vultures feed as well as the local leadership of the communities,” he said.
Soneye said that the meeting was also centered on threats to the vultures including direct killing and habitat fragmentation.
According to him, during the discussion, it was gathered that residents from the community don’t kill vultures.
He added that the vulture faced threat from intruders or hunters from outside the states through direct hunting and poisoning.
He said that 13 individuals within Awka Etiti community of Anambra and 15 individuals from Ihe community of Enugu expressed interest and total commitment to serve.
He said that the people were introduced to theoretical and practical sessions on vulture identification, population counts and best practice on awareness advocacy.
The communication head said that the advocacy was for vulture conservation as well as spotting and preventing threats within the community VSZ.
He said that the volunteers were given data-sheet and trained on how relevant field data related to the population and habitat monitoring.
“Well branded jackets were distributed to the volunteers to give them good sense of responsibility to effectively serve as the community vultures monitoring officers.
“They were encouraged to carryout regular field monitoring and community sensitisation within the locality to promote the conservation need of the vultures in the areas,” he said.
He said that NCF and the communities had collaborated with Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Custom Service, among others within the states to ensure effective enforcement in the areas.
He said that the collaboration would enhance the enforcement to aid proper arrest of the illegal hunters or farmers encroaching the protected habitats of the birds in the community.
He added that the leaders of the communities visited, pledged total support for the volunteer’s operations.
“The leaders expressed readiness and commitment to work effectively, in order to achieve the mandates and objectives.”
