Wildlife population in national parks declines, threatened by flood

Nigeria’s wildlife population remains endangered with recent flooding adding to the risk factors in the eight national parks due to climate variability and change-induced extreme weather events. Elephants face serious threats and the magnitude has made the Federal Government initiate a 10-year plan to save these animal populations from being lost entirely, CHINEDUM UWAEGBULAM reports.

There are fears that the recurring flood in many states may have further shrunk the number of endangered animals in the country.

Nigeria is home to numerous wild animals, but these species are now endangered and at risk of extinction due to poaching for bushmeat consumption, illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction.

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, many Nigerian species are threatened or endangered due to deforestation, poaching, and climate change including flooding and Nigeria lost about 30 per cent of its elephant population between 2010-2019, and other iconic species like Chimpanzees, Buffaloes, and crocodiles.

The National Strategy for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria (2022-2026), revealed that the country is home to more than 864 species of birds, 117 amphibians, 203 reptiles, more than 775 species of fish, 285 mammals, more than 4,715 vascular plants and likely many more undocumented species.

The Guardian investigations revealed that eight national parks in the country are domiciled in high flood-risk states and prone to losing their wildlife reserves and habitats. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) identified 31 states as high-risk areas for significant flood impacts in 2024.

They are Gashaka-Gumti National Park (Taraba), Old Oyo National Park (Oyo State), Chad Basin National Park (Borno), Okomu National Park (Edo), Kainji National Park (Niger), Kamuku National Park (Kaduna), Cross River National Park (Cross River), and Yankari Game Reserve (Bauchi).

The latest threat to these animals, conservationists revealed, is flooding, which regularly affects many cities in the country. Floods affect all animals in submerged areas, resulting in individual deaths, and local extinction of species, as well as reduction in biodiversity, and food availability.

The development confirmed by the National Park Service (NPS), revealed that the most affected in the past are the National Parks in Chad Basin and those in the Niger Delta area- Cross River and Okomu.

Chingurumi Duguma sector of Chad Basin National Park, which is contiguous to Waza National Park in the Republic of Cameroon is the worst hit, which has led to the migration of Elephants to Waza National Park and nearby communities, resulting in several cases of animal-human conflicts in communities.

The Conservator General of the National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Goni told The Guardian that the recent prediction by Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency of flooding in 31 states of the country is worrisome and has grave consequences on both humans and wildlife.

According to him, flooding has contributed to the decline in the population of wildlife generally and endangered species in the country.

“The recent flooding in Borno state typifies the effect of flooding on wildlife. The loss or degradation of habitats, disruption of sources of food and water, injury, increase in mortality and displacement of wildlife are part of the direct consequences of flooding in the parks,” he said.

Goni disclosed that the Park Service has been proactive. “As part of the ecology and resource management strategy of the service, unit parks maintain constant interface with the communities around the parks to encourage and facilitate measures aimed at reducing incidences of flood.

“These include desilting of water channels and clearing of gutters, tree planting/afforestation programmes, ecological restoration, ensuring no farming and building along riverbanks. We are working closely with related security agencies, local council authorities and other stakeholders to provide emergency services, when the need arises.

“Given our experiences in the past, the Service is particularly alert about the possibility of the reoccurrence of these incidences and the danger it portends to our wildlife. This partly explains why the parks are often closed to visitors during the high rainfall period of July to early October,” he added.

The spokesperson for Wild Africa Fund in West Africa, Dr Mark Ofua, told The Guardian that the incident in Borno that affected humans and animals will happen often if proper steps are not taken to nip it in the bud. He said flooding has a dangerous effect on wildlife, and animals may not be able to handle such incidents.

According to him, the effect of floods on wildlife is under-reported, which has brought less attention to the catastrophic events, “In Borno, you saw crocodiles in human habitation. All these animals didn’t come from the zoo. Animals that will be affected are those that don’t fly, smaller and larger mammals, and reptiles that can’t swim,” he said.

He advocated functional flood response or emergency response plan to tackle such incidents in the future and awareness creation on their potential for tourists’ attraction.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) Borno State Chapter, Dr Halima Gambo, said flooding has over the years impacted negatively on endangered species like the Nigerian dwarf, forest buffalo, African spurred tortoise, and lion.

She told The Guardian, “Every time there is a flood, especially of the magnitude as was recently witnessed in Maiduguri, the animals in the wild lose their homes, they are displaced from their natural habitat and are often at risk of being killed by humans or they suffer injuries, become sick and die, which is a great loss to us. Continuous loss of our wildlife will ultimately lead to some of them going into extinction.”

his part, Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof Usman Tar, told The Guardian that the state government has rebuilt the Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo, a 42-acre zoological garden and wildlife sanctuary in Maiduguri.

The zoo before the flood harbours wild animals like lions, ostriches, crocodiles, pythons, elephants, white hyenas, buffalos and many species of birds, including the turning eagle and the marabou stork, as well as rare species like tortoise.

Tar revealed that the government has restocked some of the wild animals, and collaborating with other facilities to bring back other species. “The animals in confined spaces did not escape. Only a few reptiles appear to have escaped,” he said.

In a related development, the Federal Government in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) Foundation has launched a 10-year National Elephant Action Plan (NEAP).

Globally, there are agitations for the protection of the remaining elephants and Nigeria is not an exception to this plan. The plan aimed at building capacity, creating public awareness; monitoring and eradicating all illegal trade in elephant parts, as well as conservation and protection of the habitat of the wildlife to enable it to reproduce in a conducive environment.

Nigeria is one of relatively few countries in Africa to have both forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) and savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana), although both are now depleted. The population decline of both species in Nigeria started in the 19th century due to ivory demand from Europe, and in the 20th century, the decline continued as their habitat was reduced due to agricultural expansion.

As a result, elephants in Nigeria today are mainly restricted to protected areas and small forest fragments where they are increasingly isolated and vulnerable to extinction. In only 30 years, Nigeria’s elephant population has crashed from an estimated 1,500 to an estimated 400, according to IUCN.

An estimated 90 per cent of Nigeria’s elephants are found in or close to existing protected areas and only 10 per cent occur outside of protected areas. Two forest elephant populations occur in state-managed forest reserves (Omo and Idanre) that are subject to heavy logging pressure and farm encroachment, with weak levels of support from the state government. Two small forest elephant populations exist in unprotected sites (Itasin and Andoni) and are particularly vulnerable.
Only four populations (Okomu, Oban, Okwangwo and Yankari) are considered relatively safe.

NEAP helps tackle biodiversity loss, climate change and global health crises, as well as offers real hope for a better future for the country where elephants and local communities can live harmoniously together. The NEAP also includes a five-year implementation plan estimated at $29,681,000. The document highlighted that saving Nigeria’s last elephants will require more than just funds, it will require a significant change in attitude at all levels and a paradigm shift by federal and state governments towards a realisation that human wellbeing and global health are inextricably linked to biodiversity loss and climate change.

Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, who spoke on the NEAP, said Nigeria is endowed with abundant wildlife resources that are also integral parts of its natural ecosystem. Amongst such wildlife resources are the forest and savanna elephants, which are on the brink of extinction due to human activities such as habitat destruction, poaching and other illegal activities in the forest.

As a result of the illegal activities, he said these intelligent and socially complex creatures are now endangered species that need to be protected and conserved. Presently, there are less than 500 elephants in Nigeria, hence the establishment of the NEAP for Nigeria (2024- 2034) aimed at providing the Federal Government with strategies to protect and conserve this special wildlife.

According to him, the implementation will reduce and gradually eradicate the decline in the population of Nigerian elephants. “The NEAP provides a platform for synergy between existing Federal and State wildlife laws in Nigeria, as well as help in the enforcement of these laws. The plan also plays a major role in support of the implementation of the National Strategy on Combating Illegal Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria (2022- 2026).

“Regrettably, Nigeria has become a transit hub for the trafficking of ivory across the region. To protect this endangered wildlife species, we collectively have to shut down the trade of ivory and other illegal activities in our forests, the ivory markets within and beyond our borders need to be closed down completely,” the minister said.

Lawal said the Federal Government is committed to the sustainable management and conservation of the natural resources of the country. “We must strengthen anti-poaching measures, promote habitat preservation, and foster peaceful coexistence between elephants and humans. We are also looking forward to closely working together, as well as collaborating with relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the plan, which will guarantee the survival of elephants and their habitat in Nigeria,” he added.

An official of the Forest Elephant Initiative managed by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Olabode, told The Guardian that elephants in Nigeria are on the brink of extinction. “Nigeria’s rapid population put pressure on our forest resources. Protected areas reserved for elephants and other biodiversity are faced with over-exploitation at an unprecedented scale and the aftermath of this includes massive deforestation for agriculture, village expansion, mining and other anthropogenic activities.

He noted that poaching to supply the ivory market also drives elephant killing in protected areas and the human population increase around elephant habitats has led to unprecedented infractions leading to human-elephant-conflict.

Olabode said the NEAP requires collective responsibility to implement and called for an increase in awareness creation on conservation issues, especially wildlife or wild space.