Some see them as sinister but these birds play a vital role in nature's cycle
"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.
Chukwuemeka Igwe is proud of the nickname given to him
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.
