Flood: Conservator-General wants strayed wild animals recaptured

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Nigeria National Parks Service (PKS) has appealed to the public to call on the service for recapturing of wild animals that strayed due to flooding being experienced by some states across the country.
The Conservator-General Ibrahim Goni, made the appeal in a statement signed by his Media Assistant Yakubu Zull.
Goni, who sympathised with the flood victims and states, appealed to the general public not to kill any strayed wild animal found displaced by the flood but rather call on experts for quick intervention.
He thanked Alhaji Abubakar Bagudu, the Executive Governor of Kebbi state and the people of the State for calling on the Service on sighting two strayed elephants in the Danten swamp of Bagudu local government of the State.
He urged others to emulate the Governor in the protection of wildlife regardless of their location per time as they are essential for balanced and sustainable development of every nation of the world.
“In Nigeria at present, the destruction of natural habitats continues unabated, resulting in the depletion of the country’s wildlife resources.
“Several species of wildlife have been lost while some are threatened with extinction due to other factors such as climate change, human population, pollution’’.
The Conservator-General said Nigeria has over 100 forest and Game Reserves across the country but the situations of these reserves leave much to be desired.
“This is the reason the few remaining wild animals maraud with no habitat to protect them.
“The cases of a colony of chimpanzee killed in Enugu, elephants killed in Ondo and Kwara (Jebba), the marauding elephants in Ijebu Ode and the recent case of an elephant killed in Kebbi are fresh in mind,’’ he said.
Goni pushed for the review of the state laws that stipulated N50.00 fine as punishment for the killing of endangered species like an elephant.
“This fine is a pat on the wrist for such grievous offence so the state government should review the archaic wildlife laws in order to come up with effective protection and management policies for wildlife resources.
“The law will avert the indiscriminate and wanton killing of these species,’’ he added.