Wildlife Ecosystems Degeneration In Nigeriaby HASSAN ABUBAKAR MUHAMMAD | 22-07-2022 20:48 |
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Wildlife in Nigeria is virtually getting into extinction due to a gamut of factors. Across the country, little or no attention is being paid to the maintenance of infrastructure that once provided a safe haven for flora and fauna. Similarly, while more and more Nigerians appear to be patronizing tourism, zoos and gardens seem to be fast disappearing in the country. Following the neglect of zoos and gardens, rare species of animals and birds have since taken a flight and the hope of returning looks slim. A tour around the nation¡¯s gardens and parks reveals that its wildlife has slipped into the same inertia that has afflicted the socio-economic sector of the economy. But is evokes the inevitable question: Where have all the animals gone? Deputy Editor, Soni Daniel, Achor Abimaje, Jos, Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt, Patrick Ochoga, Benin, Najib Sani, Bauchi, Nnamdi Mbawike, Enugu and Sakin Babalola, Ibadan, uncover the vanishing wildlife in Nigeria. The diminishing returns on wildlife in Nigeria are obvious. Most of the zoos in the country are in a sordid shape. Many others have since been closed down or converted to other uses. A few that are still standing are serving as mere monuments, having lost the animals, birds and the ambience that once excited and attracted visitors to them. No one can say for sure how these natural settings lost their beauty and steam but the general economic downturn in the country, which has afflicted even vital sectors of the nation¡¯s life, cannot be ruled out. The rot appears to have dealt a debilitating blow on wildlife, leaving it in a state of somnolence. It may take a long time for it to recover from the amnesia but the patrons of wildlife are the immediate losers while the country continues to suffer from the decay that has set into the tourism sector. Despite its tangible and intangible benefits to mankind, wildlife is yet to be fully appreciated in Nigeria and accorded the pride of place it deserves in the nation¡¯s scheme of things. Beyond the laissez- faire disposition of government towards wildlife, Nigerians are also not fully entrenched in the art of appreciating nature like their counterparts in other climes where the practice has been integrated into daily chores. Thus, treated with disdain by the government, given a cold reception by potential patrons and hounded by poachers and illegal loggers who abound in large numbers in the forests, wildlife in Nigeria has been eclipsed by a whirlwind that continues to ravage the sector like a timeless mirage. |
