By Ruth Serwaa Asare
The Ghana Wildlife Society is urging Ghanaians to rethink their perception of vultures, stressing that the much-maligned birds play a critical role in public health and environmental balance.
Speaking ahead of International Vulture Awareness Day, which falls on Saturday, September 6, 2025, on the GBC breakfast show, the team explained that the day, marked annually on the first Saturday of September, is set aside globally to highlight the importance of conserving vultures and reversing their decline.
“Vultures are not evil birds; they are nature’s clean-up crew,” said Joseph, the lead researcher of the Society on Thursday, September 5. “They are obligate scavengers, meaning they only feed on dead animals. Their highly acidic stomachs neutralize deadly bacteria such as anthrax, brucellosis, rabies, and cholera, preventing these diseases from spreading to humans and livestock.”
In Ghana, however, vultures continue to suffer from negative cultural perceptions, hunting, and habitat loss. A recent survey conducted by the Society among secondary school students in Cape Coast revealed worrying attitudes. “When we asked what comes to mind when you hear the word vulture, the overwhelming response was ‘evil, evil, dead, evil,’” the team revealed. “This shows how deep the misconceptions run.”
The Wildlife Society warns that the decline of vultures could have dire health consequences. “If vultures disappear and we leave the scavenging to crows and other pseudo-scavengers, they will spread the very diseases that vultures prevent,” one team member explained. Vultures in Ghana face multiple threats: from being hunted for bushmeat and traditional medicine to having their eggs stolen for supposed spiritual purposes. “We found that some individuals even climb vulture nests to pick their eggs for traditional medicines and for political gains. We’ve even found cases in markets where dead vultures are sold, sometimes passed off as chicken,” another team member disclosed.
Despite these challenges, the Society says ordinary Ghanaians can play a vital role in vulture conservation. “Be a sentinel,” the team urged. “If you see people trying to kill vultures or raid their nests, alert the Wildlife Division or local authorities. Farmers and abattoirs should also properly dispose of carcasses instead of dumping them, especially since drugs like diclofenac in animal remains can kill vultures instantly.”
The team also highlighted success stories from Southern and Eastern Africa, where “vulture restaurants”—designated feeding sites stocked with safe carcasses—have reduced the birds’ dependence on refuse dumps.
As Ghana joins the rest of the world to mark International Vulture Awareness Day, the Wildlife Society is calling for education, stronger policies, and community action. “We must change the perception that vultures are evil,” the team emphasized. “They are guardians of our health and a cleaner environment. Without them, we all stand at risk.”
