Raptors in West and Central Africa threatened by trade for bushmeat and fetish
Monday, August 24, 2015 - 08:50
in Biology & Nature
The trade in vultures and other raptors for traditional medicine and bushmeat is likely to be contributing to the serious declines of these birds in West and Central Africa. A new study, published in the scientific journal Oryx, showed that 27% of 2,646 raptor carcasses on sale in markets in 12 countries were threatened or near threatened species according to the IUCN Red List. In West Africa, 73% of raptors were traded in Nigeria and 21% in Benin, making these countries the regional hotspots for this largely illicit trade.