VULTURE: THE DIRTY, UGLY BIRD THAT SAVES THE WORLD In Nigeria, if a vulture lands on your roof? People gather. They point. They hiss. They shout, “Ayeee! Evil has landed!”😂 Some will even call native doctor. Others will fast and pray. Why? Because someone’s uncle once said vultures are messengers of death. Even nollywood demonize vultures. But what if I told you…. That the same bird we fear… The same one we call dirty and demonic… Is the reason we haven’t all died from disease? Stay with me. Let’s meet the misunderstood janitor of the wild: ✅ VULTURES EAT DEAD THINGS… AND THAT’S WHAT KEEPS US ALIVE. They eat carcasses. Rotten meat. Decaying animals. The things no other animal touches. But what if they didn’t? If vultures disappeared today— Diseases like anthrax, rabies, and botulism would rise. Because that goat that died by the roadside? Flies will feed. Maggots will grow. Bacteria will multiply. And before you know it? Death will enter the food chain. It will enter the air. It will enter us. But vultures step in… No complaint. No applause. They eat the death so that we can live. Lesson? Sometimes, your calling will take you to dirty places. Unseen. Uncelebrated. But if you don’t do it, the world will rot. Not every hero wears perfume. Some carry a stink… so others can smell nice.😁 ✅ VULTURE STOMACHS CAN KILL CHOLERA. Their digestive system is so acidic, It can dissolve bacteria that would kill humans instantly. They turn poison into peace. Lesson? Not everything that enters your life is meant to destroy you. Your hardship is not your handicap. It may be your hidden healing power. ✅ VULTURES ARE LOYAL. They mate for life. One partner. One mission. One commitment. Even when that partner dies— They don’t just “move on” like nothing happened. They mourn. They isolate. They grieve. They understand what it means to love deeply. Lesson? Loyalty is not old school. It is rare. Sacred. Needed. In a world of situationships and betrayals— Be the one who stays true. Be the one who loves with honor. ✅ VULTURES HAVE NO VOICE. Yes. They can’t sing. They can’t chirp. They make hisses and grunts. That’s all. In a world where parrots and nightingales get all the attention… The vulture thrives in silence. Lesson? You don’t have to be loud to be legendary. Let your work speak. Let your results roar. Let your impact echo long after you’ve left the room. ✅ VULTURES DON’T KILL, THEY RESTORE. They don’t hunt. They wait for what has died. Then they clean it up. Nature’s final responders. While lions roar and eagles hunt— Vultures restore balance. Lesson? You don’t have to be aggressive to be effective. Some of us are not fighters. We are healers. We are restorers. We are the ones that enter after the damage— And pick up the pieces. And that role? Is just as sacred. The vulture may be ugly. But it’s one of earth’s last defenders. Ikur Edmund Hellandendu Climate Reality Leader