Vultures are disappearing in Nigeria - but the 'Vulture King' is fighting to reverse the trend

"People fear the environment where the shrine is. No evil will ever happen here. So, nobody fights vultures that perch here," a man they call the Vulture King tells the BBC.

Mostly associated with death and decay, perhaps it is not surprising that when vultures disappeared from the skies across many West African cities, they were not missed.

Yet across the continent, their disappearance is becoming impossible to ignore, as conservationists warn that hunting linked to traditional beliefs and spiritual practices continues to threaten several vulture species to the point of near extinction.

Without vultures, ecosystems would lose a natural defence against the spread of disease.

Thankfully in one part of south-eastern Nigeria, residents are bucking the trend.

Awka-Etiti is home to a sacred forest surrounding a shrine dedicated to a deity known as Nguma.

At first glance, the site is an unremarkable cluster of tall trees wrapped in thick greenery. But at its heart stands an ancient tree that locals say has watched over the community for hundreds of years, and remains the spiritual home of the shrine.

This is a largely Christian community but some residents continue to observe traditional practices, in which vultures play a key role.

Local resident Chukwuemeka Igwe, who has earned the nickname King of Vulture, thanks to his tireless volunteer work with Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), says "the indigenous don't hunt vultures".

Instead, locals sometimes offer fresh animal sacrifices at the shrine which attract the birds, he explains.

"And there is an adage we use here that says: 'When you put down a sacrifice and you do not see vulture[s], know that something happened in the spirit world'."

It means that vultures are a good omen when a sacrifice has been made because their presence suggests that the deity has accepted the sacrifice and heard the residents' appeal to its power.

Now in his 50s, Igwe says the birds have been a feature of daily life in this town for as long as he can remember, walking around among humans and scavenging for food.

Yet for many who venture into the wild elsewhere on the continent, vultures are not the first birds to capture their attention. Rarely do we stop to admire vultures through binoculars or photograph in awe.

In the eyes of many people, vultures are downright ugly. But scientists say they provide one of nature's most important cleaning services.

Vultures consume dead animals within hours, helping prevent carcasses from becoming breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria and diseases.

Their disappearance can have serious consequences, says NCF conservation biologist Stella Egbe: "In places where the total collapse of vultures has happened, there has been impact of rising zoonotic diseases."

Vultures' powerful stomach acids allow them to safely consume infected animals, helping stop diseases such as anthrax and rabies from spreading.

Without vultures, experts warn ecosystems lose a natural defence system.

Rapid urban growth across Africa has also played its part, transforming landscapes, and destroying many of the tall trees that the birds nest in.

Habitat loss is far from the only factor.

Poisoning is the cause of death for an estimated 60% of vultures in Africa, according to BirdLife International, external.

These issues will be high on the agenda when researchers from across the region meet in Abuja later this year to review the West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan, which was drafted in 2022.

Experts say the use of vultures and their body parts in traditional medicine and Vodun (also known as Voodoo) has emerged as one of the most significant drivers of their decline, especially in West and southern Africa.

Dead adult vultures in Nigeria used to sell for around 25,000 to 30,000 naira ($18 to $22; £13 to £16) each - but can now fetch up to 200,000 naira ($145; £107) per bird, says Egbe.

Vulture eggs and nests are increasingly targeted too, which for such a slow-breeding species is a catastrophic and "shocking" development, says Egbe.

Adult vultures usually reach sexual maturity between the ages of five and seven, and produce only one chick every year or two. Plus many young vultures do not survive their first year.

"And so you imagine what will happen if a nest is removed and eggs are removed. That means a pair of vultures will not have a next generation for that year. So in addition to hunting, you're removing their habitat, you're removing their homes," she adds.

Seven species of vultures in Africa are now classified as globally Endangered or Critically Endangered by BirdLife International, the authority for birds on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.