Waste management and Hooded Vultures on the Legon Campus of the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana. West Africa

Abstract

Recent rapid expansion in the human communities of public universities in Ghana has resulted in increased waste generation. The ecological implications of this phenomenon remain unstudied. Counts of Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus on the Legon Campus of the University of Ghana between June 2005 and February 2006 revealed that a significantly higher number of vultures existed in the residential parts of the campus, relative to the non-residential parts. The number of vultures occurring on the campus was found to be positively correlated with the academic calendar with high numbers of vultures occurring when school was in session, and vice versa. Interviews of a cross section of the university community identified defecation by roosting vultures on the human campus inhabitants as the most pronounced impact. This was reported to occur mainly in the early morning or late-afternoon and affected 64% of the inhabitants, with the highest rate of occurrence being at least once a month (44.5%). Baseline data, on which further studies and environmental management plans can be based, are provided.