By Ngozi Onyeakusi– The Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) has warned traditional medical practitioners against the use of vulture for medicines.

The Director-General of NCF, Dr Mukhtar Aminu-Kano gave the warning during the training of traditional medicine practitioners from 20 Local Government Areas of Sokoto State on the sustainable plant-based alternative to vulture use.

The training is part of NCF project “Egyptian Vulture New-life Project,” to save vultures from total extinction.

According to Aminu-Kano, the training was aimed at encouraging traditional medicine practitioners to go on herbs as an alternative to the use of vulture that is going into extinction in the country.

Aminu-Kano, represented by the NCF Project Officer, Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands Conservation Project, Yobe Mr Harry Junior, stressed the urgent need to preserve and protect vultures.

“We must preserve and protect the vulture bird for the survival of human and the environment we live in.

“Vultures, being one of the vital groups of ecological birds, is facing threats in many areas, which put their population under pressure.

“The bird contributes significantly to cleaning the environment, clearing carcasses and reducing the risk of water contamination against human health.

“However, the extinction of the bird will greatly expose the society to the dangers of ecological challenges, water pollution and spread of contagious diseases, as well as the environment,” he said.

In his presentation, Malam Usman Abubakar, a member of the Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association, Kano State, noted that all illness can be treated from plants.

“Any medicine, whether traditional or herbal, is produced from plants and as such we should maintain our forefathers’ tradition of using herbs to treat any type of illness.

“Yes, vultures can be used for medicinal purposes but its survival is more medicinal because it protects the whole society and the environment.

“As such, I call on all of us to protect the bird for our own survival and the future generation. “We should continue to seek for more knowledge of plants as all medicines are in plants,’’ he said.