THE Conservator of Parks at Gashaka Gumpti National Park in Taraba State, Joseph Ntui, has raised alarms over the disappearance of key wildlife species, including lion and cheetahs in the Nigerian forest.
Ntui blamed poaching, illegal hunting, and human encroachment for driving these animals to local extinction.
The conservator, disclosed this on Saturday, September 14, during a media tour of the park, organised by Africa Nature Investors (ANI), a non-governmental organization dedicated to conservation and climate change mitigation.
He revealed that some animals have not been sighted in the park for years, prompting concerns that these species may now be extinct in the area.
Ntui further noted that the disappearance of these animals can be directly linked to human activities, such as farming, and grazing within the park, which he said disrupt wildlife habitats and force animals to flee their natural environments.
According to him, the Gashaka Gumpti National Park remains Nigeria’s largest, most scenic, and biodiverse national park, home to a wide variety of birds, fish, butterflies, mammals, plants, and other unique species.
He added that the biodiversity makes the park a living laboratory for research and experimentation.
“We used to have cheetahs and lions here, but they haven’t been sighted in a long time, even with enhanced surveillance.
“The last time we saw a hippopotamus at the Hippo Pool was five years ago. Sadly, we now believe these species may be locally extinct,” Ntui said.
Ntui lamented that conservation efforts in Nigeria face significant hurdles, particularly due to a lack of public understanding of the
“Many people still don’t understand the critical need for conservation. They view the park as a place that has been taken over and restricted for the benefit of a few, which makes our job even harder.
“Human activities like hunting, poaching, farming, and illegal grazing continue to threaten wildlife. Poachers hunt animals for meat, farmers try to encroach on the park, and herders insist on grazing their cattle on parkland.
“The herders often claim that the grass within the park is more palatable than what they find outside. These activities drive animals away from their natural habitat,” he said.
Ntui while commending ANI for its support, noted the park’s operations have seen improvements, including better-trained rangers, more patrol vehicles, and the introduction of a helicopter, which has enhanced their ability to monitor and protect wildlife more effectively.
“ANI has partnered with the park service to provide financial and technical assistance. Thanks to their support, we now have better training for rangers, more patrol vehicles, canoes, and even a helicopter,” he said.
In 2023, The ICIR, in an exclusive interview with Andrew Dunn, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Nigeria, reported how human activities, including, logging has hurt Nigerian forests, which are the richest areas for biodiversity in the country.
According to him, logging has always been a cause for concern, but in recent years has escalated out of control.
Dunn stated that the National Park Service has grown considerably, and more NGOs are working in the environmental sector now.
He added that some species have declined across Nigeria, such as elephants and lions, while others such as wild dogs, are no longer present in the country (extirpated).
He also blamed the situation on the failure of the government to address illegal wildlife trade in the country beyond multiple workshops and the setting up of various task forces.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M